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SwedenMississippi River at Aitkin water level
River gauge, Mississippi River, Minnesota, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 725 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:23 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
The gauge at Mississippi River at Aitkin reads 2.30 ft, a normal level.
It is 10.70 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.
It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.25 ft and 2.30 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 22.49 ftMay 20, 1950
- Forecast peak
- 2.30 ftMonday, October 19 at 01:00 AM
What the stage means on the water
A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.
The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 13.00 ft, still 10.70 ft away.
What happens at each level
- 26.00 ft
- The BNSF Railroad track becomes impassable.
- 25.00 ft
- The transformer station becomes inoperable.
- 23.50 ft
- The power and water plants in Aitkin become inoperative.
- 21.00 ft
- The power plant at Aitkin needs emergency protection.
- 20.50 ft
- Portions of Highway 169 northeast of Aitkin become impassable.
- 19.00 ft
- The transformer station needs emergency protection.
- 18.00 ft
- The Aitkin sewage plant becomes inoperative.
- 17.00 ft
- Pumping begins at the wastewater treatment plant. Sandbagging begins at Aitkin city transformer. Water tops the levees on the North side of Aitkin.
- 15.00 ft
- A few homes become surrounded by water in the Cedarbrook neighborhood near Eagle Rd. The Aitkin city park becomes flooded.
- 13.00 ft
- The boat ramp at Aitkin city park floods. A few driveways become covered with water in the Cedarbrook area. Minor flooding of farmland occurs in the Cedarbrook community.
- 2.30 ft
- Right now
Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.
Highest crests on record
Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22.49 ft | May 20, 1950 |
| 2 | 19.50 ft | July 6, 1905 |
| 3 | 19.30 ft | April 29, 1916 |
| 4 | 18.80 ft | June 9, 1944 |
| 5 | 18.77 ft | April 27, 1948 |
| 6 | 18.70 ft | May 12, 1938 |
| 7 | 18.61 ft | June 28, 2012 |
| 8 | 18.20 ft | June 15, 1908 |
| 9 | 18.13 ft | August 14, 1953 |
| 10 | 18.00 ft | April 26, 1906 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Mississippi River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River near BemidjiRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 205 cfs | Normal | ±0 | 81 mi |
| Mississippi River at Willow Beach at Ball ClubRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 306 cfs | Low | −2.0 cfs | 53 mi |
| Mississippi River at Days High Landing near Deer RiverRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 73.11 ft | No reference yet | −0.03 ft | 49 mi |
| Mississippi River at Grand RapidsRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 406 cfs | Low | +5.0 cfs | 49 mi |
| Mississippi River at BrainerdRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 4.28 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 25 mi |
| Mississippi River near RoyaltonRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 1,700 cfs | Low | ±0 | 58 mi |
| Mississippi River at St. CloudRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 4.03 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 72 mi |
| Mississippi River at Us Highway 169 at ChamplinRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 4.25 ft | Below flood stage | −0.07 ft | 94 mi |
| Mississippi River at Highway 610 in Brooklyn ParkRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 1.53 ft | Below flood stage | −0.14 ft | 100 mi |
| Mississippi River above 37th Ave. Ne in FridleyRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 88.64 ft | No reference yet | −0.10 ft | 105 mi |
| Mississippi River at St. PaulRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 3.20 ft | Below flood stage | +0.13 ft | 114 mi |
| Mississippi River below L&d 2 at HastingsRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 6,010 cfs | Low | +820 cfs | 131 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River Diversion near AitkinRiver gauge, Mississippi River Diversion | 0.0 cfs | Low | ±0 | 3.7 mi |
| Rice River at Nature Ave near KimberlyRiver gauge, Rice River | 7.98 ft | No reference yet | ±0 | 11 mi |
| Mille Lacs Lake near GarrisonLake, Mille Lacs Lake | 10.10 ft | Very low | −0.06 ft | 17 mi |
| Tamarack R. at 480th St near WrightRiver gauge, Tamarack R. | 9.52 ft | No reference yet | +0.02 ft | 32 mi |
| Crow Wing River near PillagerRiver gauge, Crow Wing River | 580 cfs | Low | −11.0 cfs | 36 mi |
| Kettle River below SandstoneRiver gauge, Kettle River | 87.8 cfs | Very low | +0.2 cfs | 50 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Mississippi River at Aitkin?
The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 10.70 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 Mississippi River at Aitkin today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 03:30 AM CDT, the water level was 2.30 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Mississippi River at Aitkin rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Mississippi River at Aitkin normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mississippi River at Aitkin?
The highest level on record is 22.49 ft on May 20, 1950.
Is Mississippi River at Aitkin expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 PM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:05227500(Agency page)- Coordinates
46.54071, -93.70743(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 | 2.30 ft | 2026-10-19 08:30 | Provisional |
| Flow | 725 cfs | 2026-10-19 08:30 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Mississippi River at Aitkin (usgs:05227500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/mississippi-river-at-aitkin
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