Knife River near Golden Valley water level

Name: Knife River near Golden Valley 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

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.98ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:15 PM MDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 3.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Knife River near Golden Valley is running far below normal at 3.98 ft.

The median for mid-October is 4.39 ft, based on 26 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.41 ft below typical. It is 20.02 ft below the flood stage of 24.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.28 ft, a difference of −0.30 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.75 ft and 3.98 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.39 ft0.41 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.09 ft – 5.44 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.28 ft−0.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.75 ft – 3.98 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.67 ft – 9.96 ft
Highest on record: 27.73 ftMarch 22, 2009

Floating and fishing near Knife River near Golden Valley

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 24.00 ft, 20.02 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: County Highway 5 road at gage and bridge will be under water.
25.00 ft: County Highway 5 goes under water just north of gage. Observer's driveway and most of farm yard will be flooded.
24.00 ft: Water out of both river banks.
3.98 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	27.73 ft	March 22, 2009
2	27.00 ft	March 23, 1997
3	26.70 ft	March 26, 1943
4	26.59 ft	March 14, 1972
5	26.37 ft	April 16, 1950
6	25.84 ft	May 9, 1970
7	25.67 ft	March 28, 1951
8	25.63 ft	April 7, 1952
9	24.84 ft	March 27, 1978
10	24.44 ft	March 31, 1982

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 70° 38° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 63° 37° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 77° 51° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 75° 61° – Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 66° 45° – Wind 26 mph

25 Sun 46° 37° – Wind 21 mph

26 Mon 42° 31° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 05:53 PM Daylight 10 hr, 39 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Knife River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Knife River at ManningRiver gauge, Knife River	6.05 ft	Normal	−0.13 ft	34 mi
Knife River at HazenRiver gauge, Knife River	0.86 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring Creek at ZapRiver gauge, Spring Creek	4.75 ft	Normal	±0	11 mi
Heart River near RichardtonRiver gauge, Heart River	3.86 ft	Very low	±0	31 mi
Heart River above Lake Tschida near Glen UllinRiver gauge, Heart River	2.43 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	34 mi
Missouri River near StantonRiver gauge, Missouri River	7.12 ft	Very low	+0.14 ft	35 mi
Missouri River above StantonRiver gauge, Missouri River	61.28 ft	Very low	+0.10 ft	36 mi
Lake Tschida and Heart ButteLake	2,057.60 ft	Low		40 mi
Deepwater Creek at Mouth near RaubRiver gauge, Deepwater Creek	5.48 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	40 mi
Edward Arthur Patterson LakeLake	2,417.37 ft	Normal		41 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Knife River near Golden Valley higher than last year?

No, it is 0.30 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.28 ft.

What is flood stage for the Knife River near Golden Valley?

The official flood stage is 24.00 ft. The level is currently 20.02 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Knife River near Golden Valley in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.39 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.09 ft and 5.44 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 near Golden Valley today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:15 PM MDT, the water level was 3.98 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Knife River near Golden Valley rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Knife River near Golden Valley normal?

Very low 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:06339500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.15444, -102.05944 (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	3.98 ft	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional
Flow	3.6 cfs	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Knife River near Golden Valley (usgs:06339500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/knife-river-near-golden-valley

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