Osage River near Bagnell water level

Name: Osage River near Bagnell 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, Osage River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.45ft Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 871 cfs

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 Osage River near Bagnell: the gauge reads 1.45 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.20 ft below the median of 1.65 ft for mid-October, based on 20 years of readings. It is 20.55 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.54 ft (−0.09 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.27 ft – 3.91 ft.

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

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.65 ft0.20 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.42 ft – 12.63 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.54 ft−0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.27 ft – 3.91 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.32 ft – 17.36 ft
Highest on record: 38.90 ftMay 19, 1943

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 22.00 ft.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: Lower portions of the Osage National Golf Course near the river flood. (581 Feet MSL)
28.00 ft: Lower portions of the Lazy River Campground flood. (577 Ft. MSL)
24.00 ft: Lower portions of the Riverview RV Park flood. (573 Ft MSL)
1.45 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.90 ft	May 19, 1943
2	36.03 ft	April 12, 1994
3	35.00 ft	October 4, 1986
4	34.22 ft	December 29, 2015
5	30.38 ft	May 26, 1990
6	30.00 ft	May 18, 1995
7	29.40 ft	May 1, 2017
8	28.49 ft	July 2, 2015
9	26.66 ft	September 26, 1993
10	25.44 ft	August 7, 2013

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 72° 41° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 75° 45° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 78° 53° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 81° 55° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 81° 56° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 82° 55° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 79° 59° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Osage River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Osage River above Schell CityRiver gauge, Osage River	8.60 ft	Below flood stage	−1.00 ft	84 mi
Osage River at TabervilleRiver gauge, Osage River	9.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	77 mi
Osage River at WarsawRiver gauge, Osage River	25.90 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	43 mi
Osage River at TuscumbiaRiver gauge, Osage River	1.71 ft	Below flood stage	+0.17 ft	9 mi
Osage River below St. ThomasRiver gauge, Osage River	2.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tavern Creek below St. ElizabethRiver gauge, Tavern Creek	0.41 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	21 mi
Niangua River at Tunnel Dam near Macks CreekRiver gauge, Niangua River	1.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	22 mi
Niangua River above Lake Niangua near Macks CreekRiver gauge, Niangua River	3.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	28 mi
Little Niangua River near Macks CreekRiver gauge, Little Niangua River	3.66 ft	Below flood stage	±0	31 mi
Gasconade River near HazelgreenRiver gauge, Gasconade River	0.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Moreau River near Jefferson CityRiver gauge, Moreau River	1.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	32 mi
Bennett Spring at Bennett SpringsRiver gauge, Bennett Spring	1.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	35 mi
Missouri River at Jefferson CityRiver gauge, Missouri River	9.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.53 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Osage River near Bagnell compare with last year?

It is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.54 ft.

What is flood stage for the Osage River near Bagnell?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 20.55 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Osage River near Bagnell in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.65 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.42 ft and 12.63 ft, based on 20 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 Osage River near Bagnell today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT, the water level was 1.45 ft. Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Osage River near Bagnell rising or falling?

Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Osage River near Bagnell normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 20 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:06926000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.19072, -92.60714 (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	1.45 ft	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional
Flow	871 cfs	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Osage River near Bagnell (usgs:06926000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/osage-river-near-bagnell

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