Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee water level

Name: Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee 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 in The Lodge Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.58ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 6.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee is at 1.58 ft, in the normal range.

It is 6.42 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.64 ft, a difference of −0.06 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.50 ft and 1.64 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

Key numbers

Same day last year: 1.64 ft−0.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.50 ft – 1.64 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.36 ft – 2.69 ft
Highest on record: 10.06 ftMarch 23, 2019

Floating and fishing near Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee

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

Flood stage here is 8.00 ft, 6.42 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Major flood stage.
10.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage.
9.00 ft: Possible flooding of Jackson County Road 2 and near Highway 44 begins.
8.00 ft: Flood Stage. Minor flooding of agricultural land begins.
7.00 ft: Action Stage; low lying areas along the river begin to flood.
1.58 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.06 ft	March 23, 2019
2	9.48 ft	March 24, 2019
3	9.11 ft	June 3, 1997
4	8.54 ft	March 12, 2011
5	7.68 ft	March 5, 2018
6	7.50 ft	March 14, 2011
7	7.45 ft	August 28, 2014
8	7.41 ft	February 12, 2009
9	7.34 ft	March 13, 1996
10	7.24 ft	June 5, 1999

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.50 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 78° 39° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 69° 47° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 64° 39° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 75° 51° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 72° 57° – Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 81° 57° 0.04 in Wind 18 mph

23 Fri 81° 50° 0.18 in, 38% Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 05:56 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
White River near InteriorRiver gauge, White River	3.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	13 mi
White River near KadokaRiver gauge, White River	3.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	20 mi
Little White River near MartinRiver gauge, Little White River	0.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	27 mi
South Fork Bad River near CottonwoodRiver gauge, South Fork Bad River	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	30 mi
Lake Creek below Refuge near TuthillRiver gauge, Lake Creek	2.7 cfs	Normal	+0.2 cfs	31 mi
Black Pipe Creek near BelvidereRiver gauge, Black Pipe Creek	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	32 mi
Porcupine Creek near Sharps CornerRiver gauge, Porcupine Creek	3.54 ft	No reference yet	−0.18 ft	32 mi
Wounded Knee Creek at Wounded KneeRiver gauge, Wounded Knee Creek	0.55 ft	No reference yet	−0.03 ft	39 mi

Questions and answers

Is Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee higher than last year?

No, it is 0.06 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.64 ft.

What is flood stage for Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 6.42 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 in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM MDT, the water level was 1.58 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee?

The highest level on record is 10.06 ft on March 23, 2019.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06446700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.53667, -101.79817 (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	1.58 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	6.4 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/7093?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear in The Lodge Creek near Wanblee (usgs:06446700). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/bear-in-the-lodge-creek-near-wanblee

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