Otter Tail River near Elizabeth water level

Name: Otter Tail River near Elizabeth 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, Otter Tail River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.16ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 221 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Otter Tail River near Elizabeth reads 5.16 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.12 ft and 5.17 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

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.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.21 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 67° 40° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 64° 39° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 66° 42° – Wind 18 mph

21 Wed 70° 49° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 74° 54° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 67° 59° 0.08 in, 25% Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 66° 44° 0.02 in, 30% Wind 23 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Otter Tail River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus FallsRiver gauge, Otter Tail River	293 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North at WahpetonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	4.03 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	29 mi
Bois De Sioux River near DoranRiver gauge, Bois De Sioux River	1.1 cfs	Low	+0.2 cfs	31 mi
Red River of The North at EnloeRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.38 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	36 mi
Buffalo River near HawleyRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	36 mi
Wild Rice River near AbercrombieRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	9.82 ft	High	±0	37 mi
South Branch Buffalo River at SabinRiver gauge, South Branch Buffalo River	7.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	40 mi
Red River of The North at HicksonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	10.24 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	42 mi
Bois De Sioux River near White RockRiver gauge, Bois De Sioux River	3.44 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	44 mi

Questions and answers

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 Otter Tail River near Elizabeth today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT, the water level was 5.16 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Otter Tail River near Elizabeth rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Otter Tail River near Elizabeth normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05030500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.36954, -96.01708 (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	5.16 ft	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional
Flow	221 cfs	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Otter Tail River near Elizabeth (usgs:05030500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/otter-tail-river-near-elizabeth

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