Vermilion River near Lafayette water level

Name: Vermilion River near Lafayette 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, Vermilion River, Louisiana, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.54ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (44 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Vermilion River near Lafayette reads 3.54 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.16 ft above the median of 3.38 ft for mid-October, based on 26 years of readings. It is 7.46 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.68 ft and 4.06 ft.

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

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.38 ft0.16 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.58 ft – 6.16 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.68 ft – 4.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.56 ft – 9.27 ft
Highest on record: 15.00 ftAugust 17, 2016

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 11.00 ft, still 7.46 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.50 ft: Widespread flooding between St. Martinville and Lafayette with several roads and homes flooded, especially around Cypress Island.
3.54 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.00 ft	August 17, 2016
2	12.78 ft	June 10, 2001
3	11.72 ft	May 19, 2004
4	10.56 ft	January 15, 1998
5	10.50 ft	November 5, 2002
6	9.99 ft	April 8, 2002
7	9.94 ft	September 24, 2005
8	8.70 ft	May 31, 1999
9	5.71 ft	December 21, 1999

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Vermilion River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Vermilion River at Surrey St. at LafayetteRiver gauge, Vermilion River	5.87 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	2.2 mi
Vermilion River at Hwy 733 near LafayetteRiver gauge, Vermilion River	3.13 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	9 mi
Vermilion River at Hwy 92 at MiltonRiver gauge, Vermilion River	10.47 ft	No reference yet	+0.13 ft	11 mi
Vermilion River at WoodlawnRiver gauge, Vermilion River	4.41 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Vermillion Rvr N. of I-10 at LafayetteRiver gauge, Vermillion Rvr N. of I-10	5.26 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	4.0 mi
Ruth Canal near RuthRiver gauge, Ruth Canal	8.59 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	4.6 mi
Vermilion River (B. Vermilion) near CarencroRiver gauge, Vermilion River (B. Vermilion)	5.81 ft	Normal	±0	10 mi
Bayou Teche at Keystone L&D near St. MartinvilleRiver gauge, Bayou Teche	9.97 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Bayou Teche below Keystone L&D near St. MartinvilleRiver gauge, Bayou Teche	3.10 ft	Normal	+0.06 ft	13 mi
Pontoon Bridge Canal near Butte LaroseRiver gauge, Pontoon Bridge Canal	5.51 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Lake Pelba at I-10 near HendersonLake, Lake Pelba	6.41 ft	Normal	±0	16 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Vermilion River near Lafayette?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.46 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Vermilion River near Lafayette in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.38 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.58 ft and 6.16 ft, based on 26 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 Vermilion River near Lafayette today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.54 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Vermilion River near Lafayette rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.27 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Vermilion River near Lafayette normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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

The highest level on record is 15.00 ft on August 17, 2016.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07386850 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.21937, -91.95595 (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	3.54 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Vermilion River near Lafayette (usgs:07386850). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/louisiana/vermilion-river-near-lafayette

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