Ocheyedan River near Spencer water level

Name: Ocheyedan River near Spencer 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, Ocheyedan River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.88ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 151 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Ocheyedan River near Spencer, where the gauge shows 2.88 ft.

It is 5.12 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.87 ft – 2.95 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 17.20 ftJune 22, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 8.00 ft.

What happens at each level

17.50 ft: Several houses or outbuildings may be flooded. The bridge on 190th Ave at the gage is overtopped.
16.50 ft: The bridge south of the Ocheyedan WMA is overtopped.
15.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the bridge on 190th Ave at the gage location and may begin to flood some of the low spots on the road north of the bridge. A couple structures are also in danger of flooding.
12.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the bridge north of the Ocheyedan WMA and 360th St may begin to flood.
11.00 ft: The parking lot at the Riverton Wildlife area near the gage begins to flood.
10.50 ft: Significant amounts of agricultural land are flooded and some county roads may begin to flood.
9.50 ft: Additional pasture and agricultural land begins to flood.
8.00 ft: Minor flooding of pasture and agricultural land begins.
7.00 ft: Minor flooding of some ditches begins.
2.88 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	17.20 ft	June 22, 2024
2	12.77 ft	September 21, 2018
3	12.73 ft	March 15, 2019
4	12.70 ft	June 21, 2018
5	11.72 ft	August 11, 2010
6	11.51 ft	July 15, 2011
7	11.48 ft	June 19, 2014
8	11.36 ft	March 14, 2007
9	11.28 ft	July 1, 1993
10	11.23 ft	June 15, 2001

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.38 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 59° 31° – Wind 21 mph

18 Sun 65° 42° – Wind 19 mph

19 Mon 65° 38° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 67° 47° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 71° 52° 0.12 in Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 74° 55° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 75° 59° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Willow Creek near CornellRiver gauge, Willow Creek	82.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	11 mi
Little Sioux River at Linn GroveRiver gauge, Little Sioux River	6.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	16 mi
West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near MilfordLake, West Okoboji Lake	4.14 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Spirit Lake near OrleansLake, Spirit Lake	14.21 ft	Very high	±0	24 mi
Des Moines River at EmmetsburgRiver gauge, Des Moines River	1.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	25 mi
Des Moines River at EsthervilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	2.31 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Little Floyd River near SanbornRiver gauge, Little Floyd River	83.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Des Moines River at JacksonRiver gauge, Des Moines River	6.98 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Ocheyedan River near Spencer?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 5.12 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 Ocheyedan River near Spencer today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT, the water level was 2.88 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ocheyedan River near Spencer rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Ocheyedan River near Spencer normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 17.20 ft on June 22, 2024.

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:06605000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.12767, -95.21044 (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	2.88 ft	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional
Flow	151 cfs	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ocheyedan River near Spencer (usgs:06605000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/ocheyedan-river-near-spencer

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