Rifle River near Sterling water level

Name: Rifle River near Sterling 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, Rifle River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.03ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:30 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 294 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Rifle River near Sterling is at 2.03 ft, in the normal range.

It is 3.97 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.03 ft and 3.10 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: 11.64 ftApril 14, 2026

Floating and fishing near Rifle River near Sterling

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

Flood stage here is 6.00 ft, 3.97 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Flooding of property along North Main Street in Omer.
12.00 ft: Flooding of homes along Pinnacle Drive and Miller Road. Flooding of Crystal Creek Campground along Grove Road.
11.00 ft: Flooding occurs at Rifle River Campground and Canoe Livery.
9.00 ft: High water begins to impact campground at White's Canoe Livery at Melita Road bridge.
6.00 ft: High water begins to impact canoe livery at River View Campground.
2.03 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: 18 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.64 ft	April 14, 2026
2	9.15 ft	April 1, 2025
3	7.74 ft	March 24, 2022
4	7.73 ft	April 11, 2013
5	6.75 ft	April 6, 2023
6	4.72 ft	March 12, 2021
7	4.54 ft	March 9, 2024

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 63° 37° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 64° 35° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 67° 47° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 64° 47° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 69° 47° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 71° 53° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 59° 42° 0.20 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:58 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 68%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Branch Au Gres River at E Andrews Road near AlabasterRiver gauge, East Branch Au Gres River	42.6 cfs	High	−2.8 cfs	22 mi
Tobacco River at Glidden Road at BeavertonRiver gauge, Tobacco River	2.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Lake St Helen at St HelenLake, Lake St Helen	6.33 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	29 mi
South Branch Tobacco River near BeavertonRiver gauge, South Branch Tobacco River	70.7 cfs	Low	−5.7 cfs	30 mi
Tittabawassee River at SanfordRiver gauge, Tittabawassee River	369 cfs	Normal	−95.0 cfs	33 mi
Saginaw River at Midland Street at Bay CityRiver gauge, Saginaw River	2,190 cfs	Normal	+2,030 cfs	33 mi
Salt River near North BradleyRiver gauge, Salt River	21.9 cfs	Normal	−5.7 cfs	34 mi
Tittabawassee River at MidlandRiver gauge, Tittabawassee River	9.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rifle River near Sterling?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 3.97 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 Rifle River near Sterling today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:30 AM EDT, the water level was 2.03 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rifle River near Sterling rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rifle River near Sterling normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rifle River near Sterling?

The highest level on record is 11.64 ft on April 14, 2026.

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:04142000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.07252, -84.01999 (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	2.03 ft	2026-10-20 12:30	Provisional
Flow	294 cfs	2026-10-20 12:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rifle River near Sterling (usgs:04142000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/rifle-river-near-sterling

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