Bear Creek near Muskegon water level

Name: Bear Creek near Muskegon 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, Michigan, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

10.72ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 7.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Bear Creek near Muskegon is at 10.72 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 10.72 ft and 10.88 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.29 ftAugust 20, 1980

Floating and fishing near Bear Creek near Muskegon

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.29 ft	August 20, 1980
2	16.19 ft	February 21, 1994
3	16.14 ft	March 15, 2019
4	16.11 ft	April 29, 2020
5	16.05 ft	October 1, 1981
6	16.02 ft	December 28, 2008
7	15.88 ft	January 30, 2013
8	15.50 ft	September 30, 1986
9	15.36 ft	April 14, 2014
10	15.32 ft	February 19, 1981

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 62° 42° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 63° 39° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 67° 48° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 66° 48° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 64° 50° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 65° 54° – Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 61° 43° 0.08 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:05 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on Bear Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bear Creek at Lawrence Road near LeonidasRiver gauge, Bear Creek	1.92 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	97 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
White River near WhitehallRiver gauge, White River	1.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	12 mi
Muskegon River at BridgetonRiver gauge, Muskegon River	7.49 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Grand River near EastmanvilleRiver gauge, Grand River	1,850 cfs	Low	+10.0 cfs	21 mi
Muskegon River at Bridge Street at NewaygoRiver gauge, Muskegon River	7.54 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	23 mi
Pigeon River at 120th Avenue near Olive CenterRiver gauge, Pigeon River	6.4 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	26 mi
Muskegon River near CrotonRiver gauge, Muskegon River	4.88 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	30 mi
Little Muskegon River near Oak GroveRiver gauge, Little Muskegon River	172 cfs	Low	−7.0 cfs	33 mi
Grand River at State Highway M-11 at GrandvilleRiver gauge, Grand River	1,940 cfs	Low	−210.0 cfs	35 mi

Questions and answers

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 near Muskegon today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:30 PM EDT, the water level was 10.72 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear Creek near Muskegon rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Bear Creek near Muskegon normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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

The highest level on record is 16.29 ft on August 20, 1980.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04122100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.28863, -86.22284 (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	10.72 ft	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional
Flow	7.3 cfs	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear Creek near Muskegon (usgs:04122100). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/bear-creek-near-muskegon

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