Elkhart River at Goshen water level

Name: Elkhart River at Goshen 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, Elkhart River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.66ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:45 PM EDT (27 min ago)

Flow: 58.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Elkhart River at Goshen, where the gauge shows 2.66 ft.

It is 4.34 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.66 ft – 2.82 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

Highest on record: 12.53 ftFebruary 21, 2018

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 7.00 ft.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: At this level, the Goshen wastewater plant operations are likely impacted.
12.50 ft: All-time record flood is in progress with many residences flooded. Water as high as four feet can be expected in some commercial areas.
11.00 ft: A major flood is in progress with several streets and US 33 through Goshen flooded. Southeast Elkhart also floods. Many evacuations of residential areas are necessary.
10.00 ft: Several residential streets are flooded in Goshen. US 33 begins to flood. Flooding from Chicago Poke Plaza reaches residential areas near the intersection of Indiana and Berkey Avenues in Goshen.
9.00 ft: Water closes Chicago Avenue and Denver Street in Goshen. Rogers Park is completely flooded.
8.00 ft: Some residential and commercial properties near SR 119 are affected by high water.
7.00 ft: The river reaches flood stage. Goshen, Shanklin, and Rogers Park in Goshen begin to flood. Island, Studebaker, and American Parks in Elkhart begin to flood.
5.00 ft: The very lowest areas along the Elkhart River begin to flood.
2.66 ft: Right now
1.86 ft: Lowest river observation during 2012 drought.

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 15 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.53 ft	February 21, 2018
2	11.94 ft	March 14, 1982
3	11.87 ft	February 24, 1985
4	11.03 ft	December 30, 1990
5	10.46 ft	March 17, 1982
6	10.40 ft	February 6, 2008
7	10.33 ft	July 10, 1951
8	10.33 ft	March 5, 1979
9	10.27 ft	October 11, 1954
10	10.20 ft	June 9, 1993

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.63 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 65° 36° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 65° 38° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 68° 40° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 49° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 70° 51° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 71° 49° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 71° 54° 0.01 in Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:00 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. Joseph River at ElkhartRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	19.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	9 mi
St. Joseph River at MottvilleRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	15 mi
Mill Creek at Quaker Street near MottvilleRiver gauge, Mill Creek	14.3 cfs	Very low	−2.6 cfs	17 mi
Pigeon River near ScottRiver gauge, Pigeon River	3.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Tippecanoe River at OswegoRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	5.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	19 mi
Tippecanoe River at North WebsterRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	3.45 ft	Below flood stage	+0.21 ft	21 mi
Nb Elkhart River at CospervilleRiver gauge, Nb Elkhart River	4.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	21 mi
Judy Creek near South BendRiver gauge, Judy Creek	12.9 cfs	Normal	±0	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Elkhart River at Goshen?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 4.34 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 Elkhart River at Goshen today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.66 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Elkhart River at Goshen rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Elkhart River at Goshen normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Elkhart River at Goshen?

The highest level on record is 12.53 ft on February 21, 2018.

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:04100500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.59335, -85.84857 (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	2.66 ft	2026-10-19 18:45	Provisional
Flow	58.0 cfs	2026-10-19 18:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elkhart River at Goshen (usgs:04100500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/elkhart-river-at-goshen

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