South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely water level

Name: South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely 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, South Kawishiwi River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.44ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 PM CDT (41 min ago)

Flow: 116 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely: the gauge reads 3.44 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 3.44 ft – 3.49 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.42 ftApril 22, 1976

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

What happens at each level

3.44 ft: Right now
0.00 ft: No known impacts at this location.

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.42 ft	April 22, 1976
2	11.05 ft	May 17, 2022
3	10.70 ft	June 25, 2024
4	10.01 ft	May 16, 2014
5	9.78 ft	May 11, 2023
6	9.70 ft	April 30, 2008
7	9.49 ft	June 26, 2012
8	9.42 ft	May 17, 2006
9	9.15 ft	June 2, 1978
10	9.00 ft	April 26, 2016

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 10 hr, 34 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on the South Kawishiwi River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Kawishiwi River near ElyRiver gauge, South Kawishiwi River	1.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	4.8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kawishiwi River near ElyRiver gauge, Kawishiwi River	13.1 cfs	Very low	±0	13 mi
Basswood River near WintonRiver gauge, Basswood River	2.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi
St. Louis River near SkiboRiver gauge, St. Louis River	2.0 cfs	Very low	−0.1 cfs	27 mi
Sand River near BrittRiver gauge, Sand River	5.10 ft	No reference yet	+0.01 ft	38 mi
Namakan River at Outlet of Lac La CroixRiver gauge, Namakan River	360.35 m	Low	−0.01 m	66 km
Crane Lake at Crane LakeLake, Crane Lake	16.22 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	43 mi
Vermilion River near Crane LakeRiver gauge, Vermilion River	4.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	46 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 South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 PM CDT, the water level was 3.44 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely?

The highest level on record is 11.42 ft on April 22, 1976.

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:05126210 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.84204, -91.79885 (WGS84)
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	3.44 ft	2026-10-21 02:30	Provisional
Flow	116 cfs	2026-10-21 02:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely (usgs:05126210). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/south-kawishiwi-river-above-white-iron-lake-near-ely

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