Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne water level

Name: Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne 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, Brazos River, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

15.70ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 AM CDT (58 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne is running below normal at 15.70 ft.

That puts it 0.76 ft below the median of 16.46 ft for mid-October, based on 9 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 16.25 ft (−0.55 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 15.58 ft and 17.73 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 16.46 ft0.76 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 15.61 ft – 38.07 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 16.25 ft−0.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 15.58 ft – 17.73 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 15.51 ft – 44.57 ft

Floating and fishing near Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 73° 47° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 77° 46° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 79° 55° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 83° 62° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 83° 63° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 82° 62° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 83° 59° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Brazos River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Brazos River near Glen RoseRiver gauge, Brazos River	3.98 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	113 mi
Brazos River near AquillaRiver gauge, Brazos River	7.27 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	74 mi
Brazos River at WacoRiver gauge, Brazos River	1.14 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	51 mi
Brazos River near HighbankRiver gauge, Brazos River	1.74 ft	Very low	+0.11 ft	20 mi
Brazos River at SH 21 near BryanRiver gauge, Brazos River	7.17 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	19 mi
Brazos River at WashingtonRiver gauge, Brazos River	383 cfs	Very low	−8.0 cfs	47 mi
Brazos River near HempsteadRiver gauge, Brazos River	9.40 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	59 mi
Brazos River at San FelipeRiver gauge, Brazos River	92.98 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	81 mi
Brazos River at RichmondRiver gauge, Brazos River	8.39 ft	Very low	−0.14 ft	105 mi
Brazos River near Sugar LandRiver gauge, Brazos River	27.74 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	109 mi
Brazos River near RosharonRiver gauge, Brazos River	4.79 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	124 mi
Brazos River near West ColumbiaTidal gauge, Brazos River	2.62 ft	Below flood stage	+0.94 ft	136 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Brazos River at FM 485 near HearneRiver gauge, Little Brazos River	5.92 ft	Low	−7.84 ft	3.4 mi
Little River near CameronRiver gauge, Little River	0.83 ft	Low	±0	15 mi
Big Elm Creek at SH 77 near CameronRiver gauge, Big Elm Creek	5.80 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	17 mi
Little River near RockdaleRiver gauge, Little River	4.06 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	20 mi
Little Brazos River at SH 6 near ReaganRiver gauge, Little Brazos River	314.21 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	22 mi
Mathis Creek at US 190 near KurtenRiver gauge, Mathis Creek	275.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	25 mi
N Elm Creek at Rosebud Rd near MeeksRiver gauge, N Elm Creek	3.76 ft	Very high	+2.47 ft	27 mi
Carters Creek at FM 60 near College StationRiver gauge, Carters Creek	240.54 ft	Low	+0.05 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne compare with last year?

It is 0.55 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 16.25 ft.

What is a normal level for the Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 16.46 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 15.61 ft and 38.07 ft, based on 9 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 Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 AM CDT, the water level was 15.70 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08098450 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.86508, -96.69517 (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	15.70 ft	2026-10-19 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Brazos River at FM 485 near Hearne (usgs:08098450). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/brazos-river-at-fm-485-near-hearne

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