Red River of The North at Drayton water level

Name: Red River of The North at Drayton water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Red River of The North, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

12.82ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 AM CDT (56 min ago)

Flow: 2,530 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Red River of The North at Drayton, where the gauge shows 12.82 ft.

That puts it 0.16 ft above the median of 12.66 ft for mid-October, based on 26 years of readings. It is 19.18 ft below the flood stage of 32.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 12.49 ft (+0.33 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 11.92 ft – 14.27 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 12.66 ft0.16 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 11.51 ft – 17.75 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 12.49 ft+0.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 11.92 ft – 14.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 11.39 ft – 29.52 ft
Highest on record: 45.55 ftApril 24, 1997

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 32.00 ft.

What happens at each level

47.20 ft: Highway ND 66 and MN 11 bridge approaches overtopped.
42.00 ft: MAJOR FLOOD. General urban flood damage to the city of Drayton.
41.30 ft: MN 175 bridge (north of Drayton and south of Pembina) approaches flood (MN DOT).
39.00 ft: Rural road damages begin.
38.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD.
32.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD. Agricultural damage begins.
28.00 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
12.82 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	45.55 ft	April 24, 1997
2	43.82 ft	April 6, 2009
3	43.66 ft	April 28, 1979
4	43.33 ft	April 15, 2020
5	43.19 ft	May 4, 2022
6	43.17 ft	April 19, 2011
7	42.89 ft	April 10, 2006
8	42.48 ft	April 21, 2019
9	42.41 ft	April 25, 1996
10	42.18 ft	March 28, 2010

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 63° 36° – Wind 18 mph

18 Sun 64° 43° – Wind 19 mph

19 Mon 62° 33° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 67° 44° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 64° 49° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 71° 46° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 64° 53° 0.23 in, 31% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 10 hr, 35 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Red River of The North

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North at EnloeRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.38 ft	Low	±0	145 mi
Red River of The North at HicksonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	10.27 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	133 mi
Red River of The North near Wild RiceRiver gauge, Red River of The North	22.99 ft	No reference yet	+0.05 ft	128 mi
Red River of The North at FargoRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.08 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	119 mi
Red River of The North near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.10 ft	Very low	±0	103 mi
Red River of The North at HalstadRiver gauge, Red River of The North	3.79 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	85 mi
Red River of The North near ThompsonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	17.05 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	57 mi
Red River of The North at Grand ForksRiver gauge, Red River of The North	16.45 ft	High	−0.05 ft	45 mi
Red River of The North at OsloRiver gauge, Red River of The North	7.35 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	26 mi
Red River of The North at PembinaRiver gauge, Red River of The North	12.62 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Park River at GraftonRiver gauge, Park River	7.27 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	16 mi
Middle River at ArgyleRiver gauge, Middle River	8.6 cfs	Normal	−0.9 cfs	22 mi
Forest River at MintoRiver gauge, Forest River	1.55 ft	Normal	±0	22 mi
South Branch Two Rivers at Lake BronsonRiver gauge, South Branch Two Rivers	2.8 cfs	Low	+0.4 cfs	25 mi
Red River at EmersonRiver gauge, Red River	228.55 m	Normal	+0.01 m	48 km
Tongue River at AkraRiver gauge, Tongue River	0.2 cfs	Very low	±0	31 mi
Homme Reservoir near Park RiverReservoir, Homme Reservoir	79.70 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	32 mi
Snake River above WarrenRiver gauge, Snake River	62.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.37 ft	32 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Red River of The North at Drayton compare with last year?

It is 0.33 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 12.49 ft.

What is flood stage for the Red River of The North at Drayton?

The official flood stage is 32.00 ft. The level is currently 19.18 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Red River of The North at Drayton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 12.66 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 11.51 ft and 17.75 ft, based on 26 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Red River of The North at Drayton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 AM CDT, the water level was 12.82 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Red River of The North at Drayton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Red River of The North at Drayton normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05092000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.57222, -97.14722 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	12.82 ft	2026-10-20 15:45	Provisional
Flow	2,530 cfs	2026-10-20 15:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red River of The North at Drayton (usgs:05092000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/red-river-of-the-north-at-drayton

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer