Shell Rock River at Shell Rock water level

Name: Shell Rock River at Shell Rock 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, Shell Rock River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

8.95ft Up 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1,720 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Shell Rock River at Shell Rock, where the gauge shows 8.95 ft.

It is 3.05 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 3.05 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 8.55 ft – 8.95 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: 21.40 ftSeptember 23, 2016

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Water affects the approach to the Cherry St bridge.
20.00 ft: Water affects many residences.
18.00 ft: Water nears the top of an arch beneath the Cherry St bridge and affects multiple roads.
16.00 ft: Some residential evacuations may occur.
14.00 ft: Flooding occurs in Shell Rock primarily in residential yards.
13.50 ft: E Washington St is closed.
13.00 ft: Part of S Lake St is closed.
12.50 ft: Seepage occurs in several basements close to the river.
12.00 ft: Water affects S Prairie St.
8.95 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	21.40 ft	September 23, 2016
2	20.36 ft	June 10, 2008
3	17.70 ft	January 1, 1856
4	16.73 ft	July 22, 1999
5	16.26 ft	March 28, 1961
6	15.87 ft	May 23, 2004
7	15.49 ft	June 30, 1969
8	15.45 ft	June 11, 2018
9	15.21 ft	April 1, 1993
10	15.09 ft	April 7, 1965

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.25 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 58° 31° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 62° 38° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 64° 39° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 66° 46° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 69° 49° 0.04 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 70° 56° 0.03 in Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 52%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cedar River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Cedar River	5.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	6.0 mi
West Fork Cedar River at FinchfordRiver gauge, West Fork Cedar River	9.01 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	6.0 mi
Cedar River at JanesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River	2.84 ft	Below flood stage	+0.15 ft	7 mi
Beaver Creek at New HartfordRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	5.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.78 ft	10 mi
Cedar River at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River	82.14 ft	Normal	+0.16 ft	14 mi
Wapsipinicon River near TripoliRiver gauge, Wapsipinicon River	9.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	19 mi
Cedar River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Cedar River	7.51 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	20 mi
Black Hawk Creek at HudsonRiver gauge, Black Hawk Creek	9.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.83 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Shell Rock River at Shell Rock?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 3.05 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 Shell Rock River at Shell Rock today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT, the water level was 8.95 ft. Up 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Shell Rock River at Shell Rock rising or falling?

Up 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Shell Rock River at Shell Rock normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Shell Rock River at Shell Rock?

The highest level on record is 21.40 ft on September 23, 2016.

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:05462000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.71193, -92.58297 (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	8.95 ft	2026-10-18 17:45	Provisional
Flow	1,720 cfs	2026-10-18 17:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Shell Rock River at Shell Rock (usgs:05462000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/shell-rock-river-at-shell-rock

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