Le Sueur River near Rapidan water level

Name: Le Sueur River near Rapidan 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, Le Sueur River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

7.72ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 1,050 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Le Sueur River near Rapidan is above normal at 7.72 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.85 ft and 7.81 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 22.72 ftMay 22, 1960

Floating and fishing near Le Sueur River near Rapidan

Experienced paddlers may enjoy higher water, but many outfitters stop rentals once a river runs this high.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.72 ft	May 22, 1960
2	22.10 ft	April 8, 1965
3	21.35 ft	September 26, 2010
4	19.73 ft	April 7, 1951
5	16.44 ft	April 2, 1952
6	16.43 ft	September 24, 2016
7	15.45 ft	March 21, 2019
8	14.28 ft	March 17, 2010
9	14.28 ft	March 16, 1971
10	14.26 ft	April 1, 1962

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 39° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 68° 42° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 71° 45° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 75° 56° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 74° 57° – Wind 19 mph

24 Sat 74° 55° 0.15 in, 24% Wind 21 mph

25 Sun 65° 47° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Blue Earth River near RapidanRiver gauge, Blue Earth River	1,420 cfs	High	−130.0 cfs	1.0 mi
Minnesota River at MankatoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	5.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	4.3 mi
Watonwan River near Garden CityRiver gauge, Watonwan River	123 cfs	Normal	−8.0 cfs	9 mi
Little Cottonwood River near CourtlandRiver gauge, Little Cottonwood River	20.7 cfs	Normal	+2.0 cfs	17 mi
Cottonwood River near New UlmRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	3.26 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
Minnesota River at New UlmRiver gauge, Minnesota River	785.55 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
High Island Creek near HendersonRiver gauge, High Island Creek	54.8 cfs	Normal	±0	32 mi
Straight River near FaribaultRiver gauge, Straight River	294 cfs	Normal	−36.0 cfs	42 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 Le Sueur River near Rapidan today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 7.72 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Le Sueur River near Rapidan rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Le Sueur River near Rapidan normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Le Sueur River near Rapidan?

The highest level on record is 22.72 ft on May 22, 1960.

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:05320500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.11760, -94.05028 (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	7.72 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional
Flow	1,050 cfs	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Le Sueur River near Rapidan (usgs:05320500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/le-sueur-river-near-rapidan

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