Sheyenne River at Lisbon water level

Name: Sheyenne River at Lisbon 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, Sheyenne River, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 234 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Sheyenne River at Lisbon: the gauge reads 3.22 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.92 ft below the median of 4.14 ft for mid-October, based on 26 years of readings. It is 11.78 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.51 ft (−0.29 ft).

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 2.62 ft – 6.33 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: 4.14 ft0.92 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.76 ft – 5.62 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.51 ft−0.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.62 ft – 6.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.62 ft – 8.08 ft
Highest on record: 22.86 ftApril 16, 2009

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Top elevation of the emergency levees (1087.5 ft MSL).
19.00 ft: MAJOR FLOOD.
17.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD.
16.00 ft: Some rural flooding begins.
15.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD. Raw sewage begins being dumped into the river.
14.00 ft: Storm sewer outlets are closed. Interior drainage pumping begins.
11.00 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
3.22 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	22.86 ft	April 16, 2009
2	21.70 ft	April 20, 2011
3	19.46 ft	March 22, 2010
4	19.31 ft	May 4, 2022
5	19.29 ft	April 5, 1997
6	19.20 ft	April 13, 1996
7	19.04 ft	July 1, 1975
8	17.58 ft	May 2, 1979
9	16.54 ft	April 24, 1969
10	16.34 ft	August 2, 1993

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 68° 40° – Wind 19 mph

19 Mon 64° 37° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 71° 38° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 68° 50° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 77° 51° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 76° 59° 0.04 in Wind 21 mph

24 Sat 73° 45° – Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:54 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Sheyenne River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sheyenne River above Devils Lake State Outlet near FloraRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	11.06 ft	Normal	±0	130 mi
Sheyenne River below Devils Lake State Outlet near BremenRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	18.13 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	121 mi
Sheyenne River near WarwickRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	2.88 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	106 mi
Sheyenne River at Co Road 20 near KlotenRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	30.77 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	88 mi
Sheyenne River near CooperstownRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	10.08 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	70 mi
Sheyenne River below Baldhill DamRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	24.53 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	45 mi
Sheyenne River at Valley CityRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	3.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	36 mi
Sheyenne River at Fort Ransom State ParkRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	17.63 ft	No reference yet	+0.03 ft	14 mi
Sheyenne River near KindredRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	3.66 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	35 mi
Sheyenne River above Sheyenne R Diversion near HoraceRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	14.32 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	41 mi
Sheyenne River at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	6.62 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	48 mi
Sheyenne River at HarwoodRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	68.80 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	52 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Maple River near EnderlinRiver gauge, Maple River	1.88 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	13 mi
Bear Creek near OakesRiver gauge, Bear Creek	5.32 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	24 mi
Wild Rice River near RutlandRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	30 mi
James River at LamoureRiver gauge, James River	8.04 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	30 mi
Sheyenne River on Gol Road near KindredRiver gauge, Sheyenne River on Gol Road	35.69 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	33 mi
Wild Rice River near MantadorRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	1.3 cfs	Low	±0	37 mi
Maple River near MapletonRiver gauge, Maple River	8.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	40 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Sheyenne River at Lisbon compare with last year?

It is 0.29 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.51 ft.

What is flood stage for the Sheyenne River at Lisbon?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.78 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Sheyenne River at Lisbon in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.14 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.76 ft and 5.62 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 Sheyenne River at Lisbon today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Sheyenne River at Lisbon rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Sheyenne River at Lisbon normal?

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:05058700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.44694, -97.67889 (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	3.22 ft	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional
Flow	234 cfs	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sheyenne River at Lisbon (usgs:05058700). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/sheyenne-river-at-lisbon

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