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Mississippi River at Clayton water level

River gauge, Mississippi River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

11.61ft Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

11 13 14 15

History

121416ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20121416ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
121416ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20121416ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
1520ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20261520ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
1520ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261520ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 11.61 ft, the Mississippi River at Clayton is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 11.86 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.25 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 11.81 ft, a difference of −0.20 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 11.37 ft and 12.34 ft.

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

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
11.86 ft0.25 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
11.48 ft – 14.95 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
11.81 ft−0.20 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
11.37 ft – 12.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
11.09 ft – 17.48 ft

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 67° 40° – Wind 8 mph
21 Wed 70° 45° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 69° 50° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 70° 50° – Wind 12 mph
24 Sat 71° 58° – Wind 16 mph
25 Sun 62° 46° 0.06 in Wind 14 mph
26 Mon 45° 35° 1.10 in, 23% Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Mississippi River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Mississippi River below L&d 2 at HastingsRiver gauge, Mississippi River 6,220 cfs Low −110.0 cfs 153 mi
Mississippi River at PrescottRiver gauge, Mississippi River 9,390 cfs Normal +180 cfs 152 mi
Mississippi River at Red WingRiver gauge, Mississippi River 2.45 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 134 mi
Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 5A near WinonaRiver gauge, Mississippi River 5.84 ft No reference yet −0.07 ft 86 mi
Mississippi River at WinonaRiver gauge, Mississippi River 5.67 ft Below flood stage −0.05 ft 83 mi
Mississippi River at BrownsvilleRiver gauge, Mississippi River 31.32 ft No reference yet −0.06 ft 54 mi
Mississippi River at McGregorRiver gauge, Mississippi River 6.94 ft Low +0.04 ft 9 mi
Mississippi River at Dam 13 near FultonRiver gauge, Mississippi River 5.05 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 86 mi
Mississippi River at ClintonRiver gauge, Mississippi River 9.50 ft Below flood stage −0.12 ft 90 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bloody Run Creek near MarquetteRiver gauge, Bloody Run Creek 4.13 ft Below flood stage ±0 10 mi
Turkey River at GarberRiver gauge, Turkey River 8.73 ft Below flood stage −0.22 ft 13 mi
Turkey River above French Hollow Cr at ElkaderRiver gauge, Turkey River 6.67 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 14 mi
Volga River at LittleportRiver gauge, Volga River 6.21 ft Below flood stage −0.22 ft 15 mi
Yellow River near IonRiver gauge, Yellow River 6.18 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 16 mi
Grant River at BurtonRiver gauge, Grant River 6.09 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 21 mi
Kickapoo River at SteubenRiver gauge, Kickapoo River 6.77 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 24 mi
Platte River near RockvilleRiver gauge, Platte River 4.54 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 28 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Mississippi River at Clayton higher than last year?

No, it is 0.20 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 11.81 ft.

What is a normal level for the Mississippi River at Clayton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 11.86 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 11.48 ft and 14.95 ft, based on 33 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 Mississippi River at Clayton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT, the water level was 11.61 ft. Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mississippi River at Clayton rising or falling?

Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.22 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Mississippi River at Clayton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:05411500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.90360, -91.14513 (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 11.61 ft 2026-10-20 16:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mississippi River at Clayton (usgs:05411500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/mississippi-river-at-clayton

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