Red River of The North at Fargo water level

Name: Red River of The North at Fargo 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

14.12ft Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:15 PM CDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 330 cfs
Water temperature: 53 °F

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 Fargo, where the gauge shows 14.12 ft.

That puts it 0.36 ft above the median of 13.76 ft for mid-October, based on 113 years of readings. It is 3.88 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 14.83 ft (−0.71 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 3.88 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 14.04 ft – 14.49 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 53 °F.

Compared with 113 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 13.76 ft0.36 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.27 ft – 15.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (113 years of records)
Same day last year: 14.83 ft−0.71 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 14.04 ft – 14.49 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 13.65 ft – 17.03 ft
Highest on record: 40.84 ftMarch 28, 2009

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 18.00 ft.

What happens at each level

40.84 ft: RECORD FLOOD. March 28, 2009 (instantaneous measurement).
40.00 ft: 25th Street S bridge over Rose Coulee closes (Fargo).
39.00 ft: 36th Street S bridge and 40th Avenue S bridge over Drain 27 close (Fargo).
38.50 ft: 11th Street N is closed near 28th Avenue N (Moorhead).
38.00 ft: 28th Avenue North is closed at Ditch #41 (Moorhead).
37.50 ft: Oakport Street N is closed near 50th Avenue N (Moorhead).
37.00 ft: Convent Bridge at 52nd Ave S is closed (Fargo).
36.00 ft: Placing of sandbags starts if the river is forecast to rise above 38 ft (Fargo).
34.00 ft: Northern Pacific Ave (Fargo)/Center Ave (Moorhead) bridge clearance.
33.00 ft: Wall Street Avenue N is closed (Moorhead).
32.00 ft: Removable floodwalls installed along 2nd Street (Fargo). 1st Avenue N bridge across Red River closed.
31.00 ft: 1st Avenue N underpass is closed (Moorhead).
14.12 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: 13 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	40.84 ft	March 28, 2009
2	39.72 ft	April 18, 1997
3	39.10 ft	April 7, 1897
4	38.81 ft	April 9, 2011
5	37.34 ft	April 15, 1969
6	37.13 ft	April 5, 2006
7	36.99 ft	March 21, 2010
8	36.69 ft	April 14, 2001
9	35.39 ft	April 9, 1989
10	35.04 ft	April 8, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 68° 37° – Wind 19 mph

18 Sun 71° 43° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 66° 37° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 70° 46° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 69° 51° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 75° 51° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 71° 62° 0.05 in, 21% Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 10 hr, 40 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Red River of The North

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North at WahpetonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	3.97 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	42 mi
Red River of The North at EnloeRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.39 ft	Low	±0	25 mi
Red River of The North at HicksonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	10.27 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	14 mi
Red River of The North near Wild RiceRiver gauge, Red River of The North	23.02 ft	No reference yet	+0.06 ft	9 mi
Red River of The North near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.09 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Red River of The North at HalstadRiver gauge, Red River of The North	3.79 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	34 mi
Red River of The North near ThompsonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	17.02 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	62 mi
Red River of The North at Grand ForksRiver gauge, Red River of The North	16.45 ft	High	−0.04 ft	75 mi
Red River of The North at OsloRiver gauge, Red River of The North	7.35 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	94 mi
Red River of The North at DraytonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	12.83 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	119 mi
Red River of The North at PembinaRiver gauge, Red River of The North	12.61 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	147 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sheyenne River at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	6.54 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	6.2 mi
Sheyenne River Diversion at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River Diversion	6.60 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Buffalo River near DilworthRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
South Branch Buffalo River at SabinRiver gauge, South Branch Buffalo River	7.20 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	9 mi
Sheyenne River at HarwoodRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	68.72 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	10 mi
Wild Rice River near St BenedictRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	23.30 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Sheyenne River above Sheyenne R Diversion near HoraceRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	14.21 ft	Low	−0.11 ft	10 mi
Maple River below MapletonRiver gauge, Maple River	8.72 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

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

It is 0.71 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 14.83 ft.

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

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 3.88 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 13.76 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.27 ft and 15.35 ft, based on 113 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 Fargo today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:15 PM CDT, the water level was 14.12 ft. Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

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

Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

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

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 113 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:05054000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.86111, -96.78333 (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	14.12 ft	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional
Flow	330 cfs	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional
Water temperature	53 °F	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red River of The North at Fargo (usgs:05054000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/red-river-of-the-north-at-fargo

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