Spearfish Creek at Spearfish water level

Name: Spearfish Creek at Spearfish 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, Spearfish Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.81ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT (20 hours ago)

Flow: 35.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Spearfish Creek at Spearfish, where the gauge shows 4.81 ft.

It is 5.19 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.79 ft – 4.85 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: 4.79 ft – 4.85 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.80 ft – 4.94 ft
Highest on record: 10.54 ftJune 15, 1976

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along Spearfish Creek with inundation of structures and roads.
11.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Some inundation of structures and roads along Spearfish Creek are possible.
10.50 ft: Flooding begins to affect buildings near the creek.
10.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Flooding occurs in the City Park.
9.50 ft: Right bank begins to overflow.
8.40 ft: Water flows over portions of bike path.
8.00 ft: Action Stage. The lowest areas along the river begin to flood.
4.81 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.54 ft	June 15, 1976
2	10.53 ft	May 15, 1965
3	10.11 ft	May 8, 1995
4	8.84 ft	June 18, 1998
5	8.81 ft	May 22, 1982
6	8.65 ft	June 23, 2023
7	8.34 ft	June 1, 2013
8	8.21 ft	June 12, 1970
9	8.00 ft	June 5, 2008
10	7.97 ft	June 9, 1964

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 81° 53° – Wind 20 mph

18 Sun 65° 51° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 75° 46° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 77° 55° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 69° 51° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 80° 59° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 76° 39° 0.34 in, 42% Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 47 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whitewood Creek at DeadwoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	3.42 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Little Spearfish Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Little Spearfish Creek	4.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Annie Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Annie Creek	3.97 ft	Below flood stage	±0	11 mi
Redwater Creek at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Redwater Creek	2.98 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Murray Ditch above Headgate at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Murray Ditch	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	12 mi
Whitewood Creek above WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	0.24 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Redwater River above Belle FourcheRiver gauge, Redwater River	3.09 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	13 mi
Whitewood Creek near WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	5.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Spearfish Creek at Spearfish?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 5.19 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 Spearfish Creek at Spearfish today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT, the water level was 4.81 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Spearfish Creek at Spearfish rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Spearfish Creek at Spearfish normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 10.54 ft on June 15, 1976.

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:06431500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.48250, -103.86111 (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	4.81 ft	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional
Flow	35.5 cfs	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Spearfish Creek at Spearfish (usgs:06431500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/spearfish-creek-at-spearfish

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