Lemhi River near Lemhi water level

Name: Lemhi River near Lemhi 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, Lemhi River, Idaho, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.78ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 AM MDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 155 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.68 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 12:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:18 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Lemhi River near Lemhi is at 3.78 ft, in the normal range.

It is 2.72 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.68 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 12:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 3.74 ft and 3.79 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 7.19 ftJune 21, 1984
Forecast peak: 3.84 ftSaturday, October 24 at 12:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Lemhi River near Lemhi

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 6.50 ft, 2.72 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: Mainy bridges along Highway 28 will be overtopped and flooded from Lemhi to Tendoy.
8.50 ft: Possible damage to irrigation diversion headgates and ditches.
7.00 ft: Expect possible flooding to Highway 28 from Tendoy to Salmon.
6.50 ft: Expect flooding to ranchland adjacent to the river from Tendoy to Salmon.
3.78 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	7.19 ft	June 21, 1984
2	7.07 ft	January 29, 2026
3	6.72 ft	July 6, 1975
4	6.70 ft	June 5, 2017
5	6.67 ft	June 24, 2011
6	6.62 ft	June 24, 1982
7	6.22 ft	June 2, 1986
8	6.13 ft	June 22, 2009
9	6.12 ft	June 13, 2022
10	6.06 ft	June 5, 1995

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 36° – Wind 15 mph

20 Tue 69° 45° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 68° 46° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 69° 46° 0.01 in, 65% Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 56° 36° 0.07 in, 85% Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 54° 30° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 64° 36° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Lemhi River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lemhi River near McFarlandRiver gauge, Lemhi River	97.6 cfs	Normal	+1.2 cfs	10 mi
Lemhi River below L5 Diversion near SalmonRiver gauge, Lemhi River	157 cfs	Low	−3.0 cfs	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salmon River at SalmonRiver gauge, Salmon River	2.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Big Timber Creek above Mouth at Leadore IDRiver gauge, Big Timber Creek	6.1 cfs	Very high	−0.2 cfs	22 mi
Pahsimeroi River at EllisRiver gauge, Pahsimeroi River	192 cfs	Very low	±0	26 mi
Napias Creek below Arnett Creek near LeesburgRiver gauge, Napias Creek	10.2 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	30 mi
Panther Creek at CobaltRiver gauge, Panther Creek	33.3 cfs	Normal	+0.7 cfs	31 mi
Nf Salmon River at North ForkRiver gauge, Nf Salmon River	4.07 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	37 mi
Clark Canyon ReservoirReservoir	5,516.99 ft	Normal		38 mi
Salmon River near ShoupRiver gauge, Salmon River	1,530 cfs	Low	−10.0 cfs	47 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Lemhi River near Lemhi?

The official flood stage is 6.50 ft. The level is currently 2.72 ft below it.

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 Lemhi River near Lemhi today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 AM MDT, the water level was 3.78 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lemhi River near Lemhi rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lemhi River near Lemhi normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lemhi River near Lemhi?

The highest level on record is 7.19 ft on June 21, 1984.

Is Lemhi River near Lemhi expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.68 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 12:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:13305000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.94000, -113.63917 (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	3.78 ft	2026-10-20 16:00	Provisional
Flow	155 cfs	2026-10-20 16:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lemhi River near Lemhi (usgs:13305000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/lemhi-river-near-lemhi

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