Red River of The North at Halstad water level

Name: Red River of The North at Halstad 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

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.79ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT (45 min ago)

Flow: 696 cfs
Water temperature: 52 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Red River of The North at Halstad: the gauge reads 3.79 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 2.44 ft below the median of 6.23 ft for mid-October, based on 24 years of readings. It is 22.21 ft below the flood stage of 26.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.57 ft (−1.78 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 52 °F.

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.23 ft2.44 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.34 ft – 18.09 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.57 ft−1.78 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.33 ft – 5.36 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.57 ft – 16.05 ft
Highest on record: 40.74 ftApril 19, 1997

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 26.00 ft.

What happens at each level

44.00 ft: Top elevation of the dike at Halstad.
42.00 ft: Approach to I-29 bridge under water on North Dakota side of the Red River.
38.00 ft: US Highway 75 closure installed on the south side of the Halstad ring dike.
37.50 ft: MAJOR FLOOD.
37.00 ft: US Highway 75 is flooded outside of the Halstad ring dike north and south of the city.
36.40 ft: City mobilizes for dike patrols.
33.00 ft: Considerable rural and farmland flooding.
32.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD.
30.80 ft: Approach to I-29 bridge impassable.
26.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD.
24.00 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
3.79 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	40.74 ft	April 19, 1997
2	40.63 ft	March 30, 2009
3	40.51 ft	April 12, 2011
4	39.41 ft	April 6, 2006
5	39.28 ft	March 22, 2010
6	39.13 ft	April 11, 2019
7	39.00 ft	April 22, 1979
8	38.55 ft	July 10, 1975
9	38.44 ft	April 15, 2001
10	38.29 ft	April 18, 1969

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:54 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 10 hr, 38 min Waxing gibbous 72%

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	3.93 ft	Low	−0.11 ft	76 mi
Red River of The North at EnloeRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.40 ft	Low	±0	59 mi
Red River of The North at HicksonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	10.27 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	48 mi
Red River of The North near Wild RiceRiver gauge, Red River of The North	23.00 ft	No reference yet	+0.03 ft	43 mi
Red River of The North at FargoRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.11 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	34 mi
Red River of The North near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.13 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	18 mi
Red River of The North near ThompsonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	17.00 ft	Low	−0.09 ft	29 mi
Red River of The North at Grand ForksRiver gauge, Red River of The North	16.44 ft	High	−0.04 ft	41 mi
Red River of The North at OsloRiver gauge, Red River of The North	7.35 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	60 mi
Red River of The North at DraytonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	12.84 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	85 mi
Red River of The North at PembinaRiver gauge, Red River of The North	12.62 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	114 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Marsh River near ShellyRiver gauge, Marsh River	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.6 mi
Wild Rice River at HendrumRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	3.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	6 mi
Goose River at HillsboroRiver gauge, Goose River	1.78 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	11 mi
Sand Hill River at ClimaxRiver gauge, Sand Hill River	4.28 ft	Below flood stage	±0	18 mi
Sheyenne River at HarwoodRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	68.70 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	26 mi
Buffalo River near DilworthRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.18 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	28 mi
Wild Rice River at Twin ValleyRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	29 mi
Rush River at AmeniaRiver gauge, Rush River	9.29 ft	Very high	+0.02 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

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

It is 1.78 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.57 ft.

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

The official flood stage is 26.00 ft. The level is currently 22.21 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 6.23 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.34 ft and 18.09 ft, based on 24 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 Halstad today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT, the water level was 3.79 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

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

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.50 ft over the last 7 days.

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

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:05064500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.35194, -96.84333 (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	3.79 ft	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional
Flow	696 cfs	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional
Water temperature	52 °F	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red River of The North at Halstad (usgs:05064500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/red-river-of-the-north-at-halstad

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