Rathbun Lake near Rathbun water level

Name: Rathbun Lake near Rathbun water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Rathbun Lake, Iowa, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

906.59ft Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 09:45 AM CDT (4 days ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

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

What this means

At 906.59 ft, Rathbun Lake near Rathbun is holding more water than usual for mid-October.

That puts it 3.08 ft above the median of 903.51 ft for mid-October, based on 7 years of readings. It is 19.41 ft below the flood stage of 926.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 904.80 ft (+1.79 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.20 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 905.78 ft – 907.86 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 903.51 ft3.08 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 902.91 ft – 904.80 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 904.80 ft+1.79 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 905.78 ft – 907.86 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 904.16 ft – 910.99 ft
Highest on record: 927.16 ftJuly 28, 1993

Boating and fishing at Rathbun Lake near Rathbun

When a lake runs high, docks and swimming areas may close for a while and floating logs become a real hazard for boats.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	927.16 ft	July 28, 1993
2	910.39 ft	May 17, 2002

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 72° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 54° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 74° 55° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 75° 58° – Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 76° 60° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 64° 42° 0.17 in Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chariton River near RathbunRiver gauge, Chariton River	396 cfs	Normal	−27.0 cfs	0.2 mi
Cooper Creek at CentervilleRiver gauge, Cooper Creek	7.62 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	5.4 mi
Chariton River near MoultonRiver gauge, Chariton River	21.21 ft	Below flood stage	−1.70 ft	11 mi
South Fork Chariton River near Promise CityRiver gauge, South Fork Chariton River	3.17 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
Chariton River near CharitonRiver gauge, Chariton River	4.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	21 mi
Des Moines River at EddyvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	56.48 ft	Very high	−1.12 ft	27 mi
Cedar Creek near BusseyRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	5.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	27 mi
Des Moines River at OttumwaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	7.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.90 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does Rathbun Lake near Rathbun compare with last year?

It is 1.79 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 904.80 ft.

What is a normal level for Rathbun Lake near Rathbun in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 903.51 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 902.91 ft and 904.80 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of Rathbun Lake near Rathbun today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 09:45 AM CDT, the water level was 906.59 ft. Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Rathbun Lake near Rathbun rising or falling?

Down 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.70 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rathbun Lake near Rathbun normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rathbun Lake near Rathbun?

The highest level on record is 927.16 ft on July 28, 1993.

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:06903880 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.82350, -92.89442 (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	906.59 ft	2026-10-16 14:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rathbun Lake near Rathbun (usgs:06903880). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/rathbun-lake-near-rathbun

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