Little Spearfish Creek near Lead water level

Name: Little Spearfish Creek near Lead 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, Little Spearfish Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.76ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:00 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 12.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, where the gauge shows 4.76 ft.

It is 2.74 ft below the flood stage of 7.50 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.76 ft as well.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.74 ft – 4.77 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: 4.76 ft0.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.74 ft – 4.77 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.40 ft – 4.77 ft
Highest on record: 23.40 ftMay 2, 1997

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 7.50 ft.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Water 2-3 feet over Forest Service Road 222. Extensive flooding along the creek with inundation of structures and roads.
8.50 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Water covers Forest Service Road 222. Some inundation of structures and roads near the creek are possible.
7.50 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Water approaches Forest Service Road 222. Minor flooding along Little Spearfish Creek.
6.00 ft: Action Stage and Bankfull. Lowland flooding along the creek.
5.00 ft: Water overflows the natural channel.
4.76 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.40 ft	May 2, 1997
2	22.10 ft	December 6, 2000
3	21.50 ft	May 30, 1996
4	20.40 ft	May 10, 1995
5	18.20 ft	April 6, 2002
6	15.10 ft	June 8, 1994
7	13.70 ft	May 2, 1989
8	13.10 ft	April 25, 1990
9	12.90 ft	May 15, 1991
10	12.50 ft	May 22, 1992

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.10 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 76° 45° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 61° 43° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 68° 43° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 73° 52° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 69° 47° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 72° 52° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 68° 34° 0.39 in, 44% Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Annie Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Annie Creek	3.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	2.6 mi
Spearfish Creek at SpearfishRiver gauge, Spearfish Creek	4.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Whitewood Creek at DeadwoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	3.42 ft	Below flood stage	±0	11 mi
Bear Butte Creek near DeadwoodRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	3.59 ft	Very low	±0	15 mi
Rhoads Fork near RochfordRiver gauge, Rhoads Fork	3.6 cfs	Very low	±0	15 mi
Redwater Creek at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Redwater Creek	2.98 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	16 mi
Whitewood Creek above WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	0.27 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	16 mi
Murray Ditch above Headgate at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Murray Ditch	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	17 mi

Questions and answers

Is Little Spearfish Creek near Lead higher than last year?

It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was 4.76 ft.

What is flood stage for Little Spearfish Creek near Lead?

The official flood stage is 7.50 ft. The level is currently 2.74 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 Little Spearfish Creek near Lead today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:00 AM MDT, the water level was 4.76 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Spearfish Creek near Lead rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Little Spearfish Creek near Lead normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Spearfish Creek near Lead?

The highest level on record is 23.40 ft on May 2, 1997.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06430850 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.34970, -103.93543 (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	4.76 ft	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional
Flow	12.4 cfs	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Spearfish Creek near Lead (usgs:06430850). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/little-spearfish-creek-near-lead

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