Knife River at Manning water level

Name: Knife River at Manning 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, Knife River, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.13ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 AM MDT (34 min ago)

Flow: 0.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Knife River at Manning reads 6.13 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 6.16 ft, based on 26 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.03 ft below typical. It is 8.87 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.40 ft, a difference of −0.27 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.73 ft and 7.12 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.16 ft0.03 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.80 ft – 6.67 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.40 ft−0.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.73 ft – 7.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.69 ft – 10.25 ft
Highest on record: 17.63 ftMarch 18, 2003

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 15.00 ft, still 8.87 ft away.

What happens at each level

32.50 ft: Lowest point of Highway 22 will flood.
14.00 ft: A flood of 14.89 ft created problems and required sandbagging of rural homes in 2009.
6.13 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	17.63 ft	March 18, 2003
2	17.05 ft	March 21, 1997
3	16.93 ft	March 18, 2003
4	16.20 ft	June 15, 1970
5	15.90 ft	March 14, 1972
6	15.70 ft	July 8, 1969
7	15.51 ft	April 1, 1987
8	15.39 ft	March 27, 1978
9	15.37 ft	April 22, 1975
10	15.36 ft	March 22, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 66° 25° – Wind 20 mph

20 Tue 69° 37° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 62° 37° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 77° 50° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 76° 58° – Wind 21 mph

24 Sat 54° 43° – Wind 27 mph

25 Sun 43° 35° – Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 05:56 PM Daylight 10 hr, 39 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Knife River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Knife River near Golden ValleyRiver gauge, Knife River	3.94 ft	Very low	±0	34 mi
Knife River at HazenRiver gauge, Knife River	0.86 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	54 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Green River near New HradecRiver gauge, Green River	5.54 ft	Low	+0.16 ft	20 mi
Edward Arthur Patterson LakeLake	2,417.38 ft	Normal		25 mi
Little Missouri River near Watford CityRiver gauge, Little Missouri River	7.08 ft	High	−0.04 ft	33 mi
Bear Den Creek near MandareeRiver gauge, Bear Den Creek	6.19 ft	Very high	±0	38 mi
Spring Creek at ZapRiver gauge, Spring Creek	4.75 ft	Normal	±0	40 mi
Heart River near RichardtonRiver gauge, Heart River	3.85 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	40 mi
Little Missouri River at MedoraRiver gauge, Little Missouri River	1.28 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	42 mi
Cherry Creek on State Highway 23 near SchaferRiver gauge, Cherry Creek on State Highway 23	6.00 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	44 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Knife River at Manning higher than last year?

No, it is 0.27 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.40 ft.

What is flood stage for the Knife River at Manning?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 8.87 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Knife River at Manning in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.16 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.80 ft and 6.67 ft, based on 26 years of records.

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 Knife River at Manning today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 AM MDT, the water level was 6.13 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Knife River at Manning rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.28 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Knife River at Manning normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06339100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.23611, -102.76944 (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	6.13 ft	2026-10-20 08:00	Provisional
Flow	0.9 cfs	2026-10-20 08:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Knife River at Manning (usgs:06339100). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/knife-river-at-manning

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