Tippecanoe River at Oswego water level

Name: Tippecanoe River at Oswego 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, Tippecanoe River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.26ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 46.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Tippecanoe River at Oswego, where the gauge shows 5.26 ft.

It is 2.24 ft below the flood stage of 7.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.26 ft – 5.35 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: 9.40 ftMay 21, 1943

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

9.00 ft: Flood water begins to innundate structures downstream of Lake Tippecanoe along the river.
8.00 ft: Flood water begins to impact roads near the river downstream from Lake Tippecanoe.
7.50 ft: Lowland flooding begins near the gauge downstream of Lake Tippecanoe.
5.26 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.40 ft	May 21, 1943
2	9.25 ft	March 21, 1982
3	8.96 ft	March 15, 2009
4	8.89 ft	March 4, 1985
5	8.79 ft	February 27, 2018
6	8.72 ft	January 3, 1991
7	8.69 ft	April 26, 2013
8	8.65 ft	June 22, 1981
9	8.64 ft	October 17, 1954
10	8.62 ft	April 10, 1950

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.23 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 53° 35° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 58° 35° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 64° 37° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 66° 46° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 66° 45° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 67° 46° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 68° 48° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

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

Map

Other gauges on the Tippecanoe River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tippecanoe River at North WebsterRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	3.45 ft	Below flood stage	+0.21 ft	5.0 mi
Tippecanoe River near OraRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	6.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	42 mi
Tippecanoe River at WinamacRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	4.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	46 mi
Tippecanoe River at BuffaloRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	942 cfs	Normal	−21.0 cfs	59 mi
Tippecanoe River at NorwayRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	1,000 cfs	Normal	±0	63 mi
Tippecanoe River below Oakdale DamRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	5.33 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	68 mi
Tippecanoe River near DelphiRiver gauge, Tippecanoe River	2.77 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	72 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elkhart River at GoshenRiver gauge, Elkhart River	2.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Nb Elkhart River at CospervilleRiver gauge, Nb Elkhart River	4.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	20 mi
Eel River at North ManchesterRiver gauge, Eel River	2.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	23 mi
Yellow River at PlymouthRiver gauge, Yellow River	5.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	27 mi
St. Joseph River at ElkhartRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	19.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	27 mi
Pigeon River near ScottRiver gauge, Pigeon River	3.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	32 mi
St. Joseph River at MottvilleRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	2.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	33 mi
Little River near HuntingtonRiver gauge, Little River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Tippecanoe River at Oswego?

The official flood stage is 7.50 ft. The level is currently 2.24 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 Tippecanoe River at Oswego today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT, the water level was 5.26 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tippecanoe River at Oswego rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Tippecanoe River at Oswego normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Tippecanoe River at Oswego?

The highest level on record is 9.40 ft on May 21, 1943.

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:03330500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.32057, -85.78912 (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	5.26 ft	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional
Flow	46.3 cfs	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tippecanoe River at Oswego (usgs:03330500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/tippecanoe-river-at-oswego

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