Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale water level

Name: Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale 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, Belle Fourche River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.57ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 7.7 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale reads 1.57 ft, a normal level.

It is 10.43 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.53 ft and 1.80 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

Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.53 ft – 1.80 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.23 ft – 4.18 ft
Highest on record: 14.32 ftMay 20, 1982

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 12.00 ft, still 10.43 ft away.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Water reaches bottom of Hwy 212 bridge.
14.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Major agricultural flooding occurs and some secondary roads impassable.
13.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Moderate agricultural flooding occurs with some secondary roads flooded.
12.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Lowland agricultural flooding.
1.57 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.32 ft	May 20, 1982
2	14.09 ft	May 10, 1995
3	13.84 ft	May 24, 2011
4	13.18 ft	June 15, 1976
5	12.95 ft	June 6, 2008
6	12.20 ft	May 22, 2019
7	11.25 ft	June 16, 1962
8	10.53 ft	May 15, 1965
9	10.40 ft	June 2, 2013
10	10.26 ft	April 14, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 82° 37° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 68° 46° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 65° 42° – Wind 24 mph

20 Tue 76° 49° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 71° 50° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 80° 53° 0.00 in Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 78° 45° 0.31 in, 35% Wind 30 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 43 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Belle Fourche River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Belle Fourche River below MoorcroftRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	1.14 ft	Below flood stage	±0	65 mi
Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	3.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Belle Fourche River near SturgisRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	2.46 ft	Below flood stage	±0	32 mi
Belle Fourche River near Elm SpringsRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	3.75 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	62 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Inlet Canal above Belle Fourche ReservoirRiver gauge, Inlet Canal	4.92 ft	Normal	±0	0.7 mi
Belle Fourche ReservoirReservoir	2,956.96 ft	Normal		4.4 mi
Redwater River above Belle FourcheRiver gauge, Redwater River	3.10 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	5.3 mi
Whitewood Creek near WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	5.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 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
Murray Ditch above Headgate at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Murray Ditch	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	18 mi
Redwater Creek at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Redwater Creek	2.97 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.43 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 Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM MDT, the water level was 1.57 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale?

The highest level on record is 14.32 ft on May 20, 1982.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06436000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.69083, -103.73722 (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	1.57 ft	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional
Flow	7.7 cfs	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Belle Fourche River near Fruitdale (usgs:06436000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/belle-fourche-river-near-fruitdale

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