Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls water level

Name: Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls 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, Otter Tail River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.37ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 215 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls, where the gauge shows 2.37 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.36 ft – 2.58 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

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 44° – Wind 18 mph

21 Wed 66° 42° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 76° 51° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 73° 60° – Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 69° 50° 0.08 in, 24% Wind 23 mph

25 Sun 49° 41° – Wind 17 mph

26 Mon 47° 37° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:49 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 10 hr, 42 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Otter Tail River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Otter Tail River near ElizabethRiver gauge, Otter Tail River	218 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bois De Sioux River near DoranRiver gauge, Bois De Sioux River	0.3 cfs	Low	−0.6 cfs	19 mi
Red River of The North at WahpetonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	3.93 ft	Low	−0.11 ft	20 mi
Bois De Sioux River near White RockRiver gauge, Bois De Sioux River	3.43 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	31 mi
Mud Lake above White Rock Dam near White RockReservoir, Mud Lake	70.18 ft	Very low	+0.14 ft	31 mi
Mustinka River above WheatonRiver gauge, Mustinka River	77.00 ft	Below flood stage	+0.16 ft	31 mi
Red River of The North at EnloeRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.40 ft	Low	±0	33 mi
Wild Rice River near AbercrombieRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	9.82 ft	High	±0	34 mi
Wild Rice River near MantadorRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	1.3 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	40 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 Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.37 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls normal?

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

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:05046000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.21447, -96.18373 (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	2.37 ft	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional
Flow	215 cfs	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls (usgs:05046000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/otter-tail-river-below-orwell-d-near-fergus-falls

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