Elm River near Frederick water level

Name: Elm River near Frederick 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, Elm River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.17ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:30 PM CDT (44 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

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

What this means

The gauge at Elm River near Frederick reads 5.17 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.83 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.13 ft and 5.31 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: 5.13 ft – 5.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.56 ft – 10.37 ft
Highest on record: 19.56 ftJuly 25, 2020

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 13.00 ft, still 7.83 ft away.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.56 ft	July 25, 2020
2	15.98 ft	March 23, 2009
3	15.68 ft	March 30, 2019
4	15.34 ft	March 15, 2010
5	15.31 ft	June 9, 2005
6	14.11 ft	June 23, 2011
7	13.96 ft	August 12, 2016
8	13.58 ft	April 24, 2001
9	12.88 ft	February 18, 2017
10	12.83 ft	April 19, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 67° 34° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 71° 37° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 65° 36° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 70° 44° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 73° 49° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 75° 49° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 74° 61° 0.19 in, 21% Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:00 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 10 hr, 40 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on the Elm River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elm River at WestportRiver gauge, Elm River	4.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	16 mi
Elm River near OrdwayRiver gauge, Elm River	3.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Maple River at Nd-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Maple River	1.92 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Foot Creek near AberdeenRiver gauge, Foot Creek	4.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	23 mi
James River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, James River	9.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	25 mi
James River at Nd-Sd State LineRiver gauge, James River	88.13 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	26 mi
Moccasin Creek at AberdeenRiver gauge, Moccasin Creek	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	28 mi
Bear Creek near OakesRiver gauge, Bear Creek	5.33 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	40 mi
James River at LamoureRiver gauge, James River	8.01 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	41 mi
James River near StratfordRiver gauge, James River	8.58 ft	Below flood stage	+0.22 ft	44 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Elm River near Frederick?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 7.83 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 Elm River near Frederick today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:30 PM CDT, the water level was 5.17 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elm River near Frederick rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Elm River near Frederick normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Elm River near Frederick?

The highest level on record is 19.56 ft on July 25, 2020.

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:06471065 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.83750, -98.70167 (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	5.17 ft	2026-10-21 00:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elm River near Frederick (usgs:06471065). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/elm-river-near-frederick

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