Fall River at Hot Springs water level

Name: Fall River at Hot Springs 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, Fall River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

0.84ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:25 AM MDT (51 min ago)

Flow: 26.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Fall River at Hot Springs, where the gauge shows 0.84 ft.

The median for mid-October is 0.96 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.12 ft below typical. It is 3.66 ft below the flood stage of 4.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.77 ft, a difference of +0.07 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 0.81 ft – 0.87 ft.

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

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.96 ft0.12 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.62 ft – 1.88 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.77 ft+0.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.81 ft – 0.87 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.73 ft – 1.01 ft
Highest on record: 11.12 ftJune 20, 1947

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 4.50 ft.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Extensive flooding to buildings in downtown Hot Springs.
13.60 ft: River reaches the lowest point of the 1st foot bridge downstream from the gage at University Ave.
13.00 ft: Flooding at the river gage near University Ave.
12.00 ft: Right bank overflows near the gage.
8.00 ft: Major flood stage. Extensive flooding along the creek with inundation of structures and roads.
6.00 ft: Moderate flood stage. Mobile homes near the river below South 6th Street may begin to flood.
5.00 ft: Access to numerous properties adjacent to the river near Joplin Street are cutoff. Possible basement flooding of homes along South River Street.
4.90 ft: River reaches the walking path at the gage.
4.80 ft: The low water crossing at Joplin Street becomes impassible.
4.50 ft: Flood stage. Lowland flooding along the river downstream from the gage at University Ave.
4.00 ft: Water covers the low water crossing on Joplin Street. The low water crossing at South 6th street becomes impassable.
3.50 ft: Water flows over low water crossing on South 6th Street
0.84 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.12 ft	June 20, 1947
2	9.13 ft	August 6, 1941
3	5.90 ft	July 7, 1961
4	5.57 ft	August 13, 1948
5	4.99 ft	August 12, 2005
6	4.63 ft	May 24, 1990
7	4.62 ft	July 17, 1988
8	4.47 ft	July 18, 2008
9	4.42 ft	August 19, 1993
10	4.36 ft	August 19, 1997

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.05 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 75° 40° – Wind 19 mph

18 Sun 69° 48° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 62° 41° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 74° 47° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 70° 52° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 76° 53° 0.08 in Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 77° 51° 0.48 in, 45% Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Angostura ReservoirReservoir	3,169.40 ft	Low		6 mi
Beaver Creek near Buffalo GapRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	4.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Hat Creek near EdgemontRiver gauge, Hat Creek	6.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.25 ft	14 mi
Cheyenne River at EdgemontRiver gauge, Cheyenne River	1.20 ft	Below flood stage	±0	19 mi
French Creek above FairburnRiver gauge, French Creek	1.4 cfs	Low	±0	21 mi
Cheyenne River near Buffalo GapRiver gauge, Cheyenne River	2.34 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	21 mi
Horsehead Creek at OelrichsRiver gauge, Horsehead Creek	1.73 ft	Below flood stage	±0	21 mi
Grace Coolidge Creek near Game Lodge near CusterRiver gauge, Grace Coolidge Creek	6.73 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Fall River at Hot Springs higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.07 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.77 ft.

What is flood stage for the Fall River at Hot Springs?

The official flood stage is 4.50 ft. The level is currently 3.66 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Fall River at Hot Springs in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.96 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.62 ft and 1.88 ft, based on 9 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 Fall River at Hot Springs today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:25 AM MDT, the water level was 0.84 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Fall River at Hot Springs rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Fall River at Hot Springs normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 9 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:06402000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.43056, -103.47583 (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	0.84 ft	2026-10-20 15:25	Provisional
Flow	26.4 cfs	2026-10-20 15:25	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fall River at Hot Springs (usgs:06402000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/fall-river-at-hot-springs

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