Ontonagon River near Rockland water level

Name: Ontonagon River near Rockland 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, Ontonagon River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.31ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 PM CDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 517 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Ontonagon River near Rockland reads 5.31 ft, a normal level.

It is 19.69 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.30 ft and 5.42 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: 28.60 ftAugust 22, 1942

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 25.00 ft, still 19.69 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: Flooding may be occurring downstream in Ontonagon...especially during above normal lake levels or ice coverage near the mouth of the river.
5.31 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	28.60 ft	August 22, 1942
2	21.96 ft	May 1, 2013
3	21.64 ft	April 13, 2023
4	21.13 ft	April 23, 2019
5	20.90 ft	May 12, 2003
6	20.82 ft	April 24, 1960
7	20.34 ft	April 17, 2002
8	20.12 ft	April 1, 1986
9	19.82 ft	February 21, 2017
10	19.80 ft	July 3, 1992

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 68° 34° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 65° 43° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 68° 40° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 70° 52° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 73° 61° 0.03 in Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 66° 45° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 44° 37° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 37 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Branch Ontonagon River near BerglandRiver gauge, West Branch Ontonagon River	1.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Lake Gogebic near BerglandLake, Lake Gogebic	1.52 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	19 mi
Sturgeon River near AlstonRiver gauge, Sturgeon River	4.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	26 mi
Middle Branch Ontonagon River near PauldingRiver gauge, Middle Branch Ontonagon River	4.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	26 mi
Sturgeon River near SidnawRiver gauge, Sturgeon River	3.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	31 mi
Cisco Branch Ontonagon River at Cisco Lake OutletRiver gauge, Cisco Branch Ontonagon River	0.5 cfs	Very low	±0	34 mi
Cisco Lake near WatersmeetLake, Cisco Lake	4.16 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	34 mi
Falls River near L'anseRiver gauge, Falls River	21.6 cfs	Low	−1.7 cfs	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Ontonagon River near Rockland?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 19.69 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 Ontonagon River near Rockland today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 PM CDT, the water level was 5.31 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Ontonagon River near Rockland rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Ontonagon River near Rockland normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Ontonagon River near Rockland?

The highest level on record is 28.60 ft on August 22, 1942.

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:04040000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.72077, -89.20709 (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	5.31 ft	2026-10-21 01:15	Provisional
Flow	517 cfs	2026-10-21 01:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ontonagon River near Rockland (usgs:04040000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/ontonagon-river-near-rockland

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