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Missouri River at Yankton water level

River gauge, Missouri River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

10.16ft Steady over the last 24 hours

25 50 Highest onrecord 50.50 ft Minor floodstage 20.00 ft

History

101520ftOct 10Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Minor flood stage101520ftOct 10Oct 13Oct 16Minor flood stage
101520ftSep 17Sep 24Oct 1Oct 9Oct 16Minor flood stage101520ftSep 17Oct 1Oct 16Minor flood stage
101520ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage101520ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Missouri River at Yankton: the gauge reads 10.16 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

It is 9.84 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. The median for mid-October is 14.35 ft, based on 28 years of readings, so the river stage is 4.19 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 10.30 ft, a difference of −0.14 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 10.02 ft – 10.48 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
14.35 ft4.19 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
10.61 ft – 17.61 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year
10.30 ft−0.14 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
10.02 ft – 10.48 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
8.17 ft – 10.84 ft
Highest on record
50.50 ftApril 5, 1881

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 20.00 ft.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft
Toe Rd near the recreation areas just downstream of Gavins Point on the South Dakota side of the river begins to flood.
25.00 ft
The walking trail along the river in Yankton begins flooding.
23.50 ft
Water reaches the top of the boat ramp at Riverside Park in Yankton
22.50 ft
Homes start flooding at Larsens Landing area.
21.00 ft
Water begins to approach at least a couple of homes along the river and preventative measures will need to be considered.
20.00 ft
Camping and other recreational areas near the river will have flood problems, and some pasture land along the river will also flood.
18.00 ft
Some of the camping and other recreational areas along the river could start seeing some minor flood problems.
10.16 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
150.50 ftApril 5, 1881
235.50 ftApril 13, 1952
334.80 ftMarch 22, 1932
433.60 ftApril 8, 1943
531.60 ftApril 24, 1950
631.00 ftApril 3, 1947
730.82 ftApril 9, 1944
830.55 ftApril 10, 1949
930.30 ftMarch 3, 1934
1030.29 ftJune 14, 1941

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11h 2m First quarter 34 %

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Missouri River below GreenwoodRiver gauge, Missouri River 24.39 ft Normal −1.83 ft 48 mi
Missouri River below Ponca Creek near VerdelRiver gauge, Missouri River 19.64 ft Very low −2.01 ft 35 mi
Missouri River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Missouri River 15.35 ft Very low −2.11 ft 31 mi
Missouri River near St. JamesRiver gauge, Missouri River 31.99 ft Below flood stage −0.11 ft 17 mi
Missouri River near MaskellRiver gauge, Missouri River 21.12 ft Low −0.10 ft 25 mi
Missouri River at Sioux CityRiver gauge, Missouri River 10.66 ft Below flood stage 56 mi
Missouri River at DecaturRiver gauge, Missouri River 19.33 ft Below flood stage 83 mi
Missouri River at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River 13.76 ft Below flood stage 134 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 92 at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River 14.19 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 137 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 370 at BellevueRiver gauge, Missouri River 15.68 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 142 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
James River near YanktonRiver gauge, James River 3.43 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 9 mi
Bow Creek near WynotRiver gauge, Bow Creek 2.26 ft Low +0.03 ft 13 mi
Lewis and Clark Lake at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Lewis and Clark Lake 9.48 ft Normal +0.03 ft 25 mi
James River near ScotlandRiver gauge, James River 4.27 ft Below flood stage +0.04 ft 25 mi
Howe Creek below Walker Draw near CenterRiver gauge, Howe Creek 1.67 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 27 mi
Bazile Creek near NiobraraRiver gauge, Bazile Creek 1.94 ft Low −0.05 ft 28 mi
Bazile Creek at CenterRiver gauge, Bazile Creek 8.90 ft High −0.01 ft 30 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Missouri River at Yankton higher than last year?

No, it is 0.14 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 10.30 ft.

What is flood stage for the Missouri River at Yankton?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The river is currently 9.84 ft below it.

How high and low has the Missouri River at Yankton been?

The highest reading on record is 50.50 ft (April 5, 1881).

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 Yankton today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 10.16 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River at Yankton rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Missouri River at Yankton normal?

Very 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:06467500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.86611, -97.39361 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level stage 10.16 ft 2026-10-16 21:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River at Yankton (usgs:06467500). Accessed October 16, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/missouri-river-at-yankton

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