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SwedenMissouri River at Pierre water level
River gauge, Missouri River, South Dakota, United States
Right now
Low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
The Missouri River at Pierre is running below normal at 6.60 ft.
It is 6.40 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. That puts it 0.60 ft below the median of 7.20 ft for mid-October, based on 28 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 6.70 ft (−0.10 ft).
It has risen 0.60 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.55 ft and 8.72 ft.
Early fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.
Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 7.20 ft0.60 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 6.55 ft – 10.22 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 6.70 ft−0.10 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 5.55 ft – 8.72 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 5.04 ft – 8.90 ft
- Highest on record
- 25.35 ftApril 10, 1952
Floating and fishing near Missouri River at Pierre
Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.
Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 6.40 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.
What happens at each level
- 21.00 ft
- Significant flooding of Pierre will be ongoing with water reaching as far as W Sioux Ave.
- 20.00 ft
- More subtantial flooding of homes and businesses on the Pierre side of the river begins with water reaching as far inland as portions of W Dakota Ave and W Missouri Ave.
- 18.00 ft
- Numerous homes and businesses are flooded, especially on the Fort Pierre side as well as along Island View Dr on the Pierre side.
- 17.00 ft
- Water begins to impact businesses in Fort Pierre and the lowest portions of the causeway to La Framboise Island may begin to flood.
- 16.00 ft
- Steamboat Park is flooded in Pierre.
- 15.00 ft
- More substantial low lying areas are flooded in Fort Pierre. Water begins to affect the yards of homes north of Hwy 14.
- 14.00 ft
- The lower banks on the Fort Pierre side are overtopped resulting in flooding of the lower lying areas of town.
- 13.00 ft
- Lower lying areas along the river begin to flood as does the lowest portions of the bike trail on the Fort Pierre side of the river.
- 6.60 ft
- Right now
Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25.35 ft | April 10, 1952 |
| 2 | 23.00 ft | March 1, 1881 |
| 3 | 19.83 ft | June 22, 2011 |
| 4 | 19.65 ft | April 6, 1943 |
| 5 | 18.44 ft | April 21, 1950 |
| 6 | 16.50 ft | April 1, 1947 |
| 7 | 15.58 ft | April 9, 1944 |
| 8 | 15.00 ft | April 5, 1949 |
| 9 | 14.07 ft | March 24, 1948 |
| 10 | 12.94 ft | June 13, 1941 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Missouri River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri River at Laframboise Island at PierreRiver gauge, Missouri River | 20.83 ft | Low | +0.52 ft | 1.5 mi |
| Missouri River below La Framboise Island, at PierreRiver gauge, Missouri River | 20.55 ft | No reference yet | +0.46 ft | 3.0 mi |
| Missouri River at Farm Island near PierreRiver gauge, Missouri River | 20.48 ft | Low | +0.40 ft | 5.7 mi |
| Missouri River below GreenwoodRiver gauge, Missouri River | 24.39 ft | Normal | −1.83 ft | 143 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bad River near Fort PierreRiver gauge, Bad River | 4.3 cfs | Normal | 3.3 mi | |
| Cedar Creek near PreshoRiver gauge, Cedar Creek | 6.82 ft | Below flood stage | −0.02 ft | 21 mi |
| Medicine Creek near Lower BruleRiver gauge, Medicine Creek | 6.3 cfs | Normal | 39 mi |
Questions and answers
How does the Missouri River at Pierre compare with last year?
It is 0.10 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.70 ft.
What is flood stage for the Missouri River at Pierre?
The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The river is currently 6.40 ft below it.
What is the record level at Missouri River at Pierre?
The highest reading on record is 25.35 ft (April 10, 1952).
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 Missouri River at Pierre today?
On Oct 16, 2026, 04:15 PM CDT, the water level was 6.60 ft. Up 0.60 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Missouri River at Pierre rising or falling?
Up 0.60 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Missouri River at Pierre normal?
Low for mid-October. Compared with 28 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:06440000(Agency page)- Coordinates
44.37306, -100.36750(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 stage | 6.60 ft | 2026-10-16 21:15 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River at Pierre (usgs:06440000). Accessed October 16, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/missouri-river-at-pierre
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