Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis water level

Name: Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis 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, Bear Butte Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.75ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:55 PM MDT (27 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis is at 1.75 ft, in the normal range.

It is 6.75 ft below the flood stage of 8.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.75 ft and 1.76 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Floating and fishing near Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 8.50 ft, 6.75 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.80 ft: Water will overtop Avalanche Road.
12.70 ft: Major flooding continues. Water overflows both banks of Bear Butte Creek and reaches the bottom of the Avalanche Road bridge deck.
12.00 ft: Major flood stage. Extensive flooding possible along Bear Butte Creek.
10.00 ft: Moderate flood stage. Widespread flooding along Bear Butte Creek.
8.50 ft: Flood stage. The right bank will begin to overflow near Avalanche Road. Minor flooding of Bear Butte Creek and flooding of the campground could begin.
7.50 ft: Action stage. High water levels along Bear Butte Creek in Sturgis.
1.75 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 79° 50° – Wind 8 mph

18 Sun 66° 50° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 65° 45° – Wind 22 mph

20 Tue 75° 51° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 68° 52° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 81° 57° 0.00 in Wind 20 mph

23 Fri 78° 40° 0.37 in, 38% Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on Bear Butte Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bear Butte Creek near DeadwoodRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	3.59 ft	Very low	±0	8 mi
Bear Butte Creek near GalenaRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	2.7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whitewood Creek above WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	0.27 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	4.6 mi
Whitewood Creek near WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	5.46 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi
Whitewood Creek at DeadwoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	3.42 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Whitewood Creek above ValeRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	0.0 cfs	Very low	±0	14 mi
Spearfish Creek at SpearfishRiver gauge, Spearfish Creek	4.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
Annie Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Annie Creek	3.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Boxelder Creek near NemoRiver gauge, Boxelder Creek	1.15 ft	Very low	±0	20 mi
Little Spearfish Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Little Spearfish Creek	4.76 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis?

The official flood stage is 8.50 ft. The level is currently 6.75 ft below it.

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 Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:55 PM MDT, the water level was 1.75 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

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:06437300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.42175, -103.53971 (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	1.75 ft	2026-10-21 05:55	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at Sturgis (usgs:06437300). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/bear-butte-creek-at-avalanche-road-at-sturgis

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