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Red River of The North at Pembina water level

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

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

12.61ft Steady over the last 24 hours

25 50 Highest onrecord 54.94 ft Minor floodstage 39.00 ft

History

10203040ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20Minor flood stage10203040ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20Minor flood stage
10203040ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20Minor flood stage10203040ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20Minor flood stage
2040ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage2040ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
2040ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20262040ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Red River of The North at Pembina reads 12.61 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 12.74 ft, based on 23 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.13 ft below typical. It is 26.39 ft below the flood stage of 39.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 12.91 ft, a difference of −0.30 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 10.69 ft and 15.30 ft.

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

Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
12.74 ft0.13 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
9.66 ft – 24.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (23 years of records)
Same day last year
12.91 ft−0.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
10.69 ft – 15.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
9.92 ft – 35.94 ft
Highest on record
54.94 ftApril 26, 1997

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 39.00 ft, still 26.39 ft away.

What happens at each level

57.30 ft
Top of the permanent levee project at Pembina.
53.60 ft
MN 171 bridge approaches flood (MN DOT).
53.00 ft
May need to evacuate South Pembina.
52.00 ft
Highway 75 north of Humboldt, MN overtops.
50.00 ft
South end of Airport Road closes.
49.00 ft
MAJOR FLOOD.
48.80 ft
Highway 75 dike installed at Noyes, MN.
48.00 ft
City dike patrol begins.
46.60 ft
MN 175 bridge (south of Pembina and north of Drayton) approaches flood (MN DOT).
46.00 ft
General rural flooding.
45.00 ft
Urban damage to Saint Vincent.
44.00 ft
MODERATE FLOOD.
12.61 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 %.

RankLevelDate
154.94 ftApril 26, 1997
252.71 ftApril 15, 2009
352.31 ftMay 7, 2022
451.92 ftApril 23, 2011
551.50 ftApril 26, 1996
651.50 ftApril 15, 2006
750.57 ftApril 19, 2020
849.73 ftApril 1, 2010
949.67 ftApril 13, 1999
1049.43 ftApril 25, 2001

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 64° 36° – Wind 17 mph
18 Sun 62° 42° – Wind 21 mph
19 Mon 61° 34° – Wind 9 mph
20 Tue 65° 44° – Wind 15 mph
21 Wed 62° 47° – Wind 12 mph
22 Thu 69° 45° – Wind 13 mph
23 Fri 64° 51° 0.30 in, 37% Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:58 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 10 hr, 33 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 FargoRiver gauge, Red River of The North 14.12 ft Normal +0.05 ft 147 mi
Red River of The North near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Red River of The North 14.09 ft Very low −0.03 ft 131 mi
Red River of The North at HalstadRiver gauge, Red River of The North 3.79 ft Very low −0.05 ft 114 mi
Red River of The North near ThompsonRiver gauge, Red River of The North 17.02 ft Low −0.09 ft 85 mi
Red River of The North at Grand ForksRiver gauge, Red River of The North 16.46 ft High −0.04 ft 73 mi
Red River of The North at OsloRiver gauge, Red River of The North 7.35 ft Normal +0.03 ft 54 mi
Red River of The North at DraytonRiver gauge, Red River of The North 12.84 ft Normal +0.02 ft 28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Red River at EmersonRiver gauge, Red River 228.56 m Normal +0.02 m 3.6 km
Riviere Aux Marais near ChristieRiver gauge, Riviere Aux Marais 99.83 m Normal −0.01 m 12 km
Main Drain near Dominion CityRiver gauge, Main Drain 235.21 m Normal ±0 19 km
Roseau River above Dominion City Dam (P.R. 200)River gauge, Roseau River 232.72 m Normal −0.02 m 20 km
Pembina River at NecheRiver gauge, Pembina River 2.42 ft Normal −0.02 ft 14 mi
Buffalo Creek near RosenfeldRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 234.81 m Normal +0.06 m 27 km
Roseau River near Dominion CityRiver gauge, Roseau River 240.42 m Normal −0.01 m 31 km
Deadhorse Creek near RosenfeldRiver gauge, Deadhorse Creek 1.31 m Normal ±0 38 km

Questions and answers

Is the Red River of The North at Pembina higher than last year?

No, it is 0.30 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 12.91 ft.

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

The official flood stage is 39.00 ft. The level is currently 26.39 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 12.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9.66 ft and 24.35 ft, based on 23 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 Pembina today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT, the water level was 12.61 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

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

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.60 ft over the last 7 days.

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

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 23 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:05102490 (Agency page)
Coordinates
48.97361, -97.24139 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 12.61 ft 2026-10-20 18:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red River of The North at Pembina (usgs:05102490). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/red-river-of-the-north-at-pembina

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