Bear Creek at Ottumwa water level

Name: Bear Creek at Ottumwa 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, Bear Creek, Iowa, United States

Directions

Latest reading

Water level

79.50ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level

What this means

The U.S. Geological Survey has Bear Creek at Ottumwa at 79.50 ft. There is no published reference for this river yet, so we can't say whether that is high or low for the season.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 79.50 ft – 81.93 ft.

Over the past seven days the change adds up to −0.10 ft.

The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only. How to read levels

Key numbers

Same day last year: 79.28 ft+0.22 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 79.50 ft – 81.93 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 79.19 ft – 83.31 ft
Highest on record: 93.91 ftJuly 3, 1982

Paddling and fishing conditions

Compare today with the chart before you go; local outfitters often know which stage suits their stretch.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	93.91 ft	July 3, 1982
2	93.80 ft	September 21, 1965
3	93.27 ft	May 28, 2013
4	92.90 ft	August 9, 2010
5	92.13 ft	August 7, 1977
6	92.10 ft	June 23, 2000
7	91.50 ft	April 24, 1976
8	90.97 ft	June 25, 2015
9	90.88 ft	May 11, 2008
10	90.81 ft	June 24, 1970

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 63° 38° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 69° 40° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 70° 49° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 71° 56° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 75° 56° – Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 74° 59° 0.00 in Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on Bear Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bear Creek near MarcellineRiver gauge, Bear Creek	2.43 ft	Normal	±0	84 mi
Bear Creek at HannibalRiver gauge, Bear Creek	1.3 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	108 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.64 ft	2.7 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	56.54 ft	Very high	−1.09 ft	13 mi
North Skunk River near SigourneyRiver gauge, North Skunk River	7.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	24 mi
South Skunk River near OskaloosaRiver gauge, South Skunk River	14.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.99 ft	26 mi
Chariton River near RathbunRiver gauge, Chariton River	398 cfs	Normal	−425.0 cfs	26 mi
Rathbun Lake near RathbunLake, Rathbun Lake	906.59 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	26 mi
Cedar Creek near BusseyRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	5.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	27 mi
Chariton River near MoultonRiver gauge, Chariton River	21.45 ft	Below flood stage	−1.45 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

Is Bear Creek at Ottumwa higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.22 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 79.28 ft.

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 Bear Creek at Ottumwa today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 AM CDT, the water level was 79.50 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear Creek at Ottumwa rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Bear Creek at Ottumwa normal?

The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Bear Creek at Ottumwa?

The highest level on record is 93.91 ft on July 3, 1982.

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:05489490 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.01446, -92.46241 (WGS84)
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	79.50 ft	2026-10-20 10:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear Creek at Ottumwa (usgs:05489490). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/bear-creek-at-ottumwa

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