Sauk River near St. Cloud water level

Name: Sauk River near St. Cloud 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, Sauk River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.55ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT (60 min ago)

Flow: 135 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Sauk River near St. Cloud reads 1.55 ft, a normal level.

It is 4.45 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 4.45 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.50 ft and 1.55 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: 10.68 ftApril 13, 1965

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 6.00 ft, still 4.45 ft away.

What happens at each level

6.00 ft: Very low roadways may be impacted from Richmond to St. Cloud; water reaching foundations of a few homes.
1.55 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	10.68 ft	April 13, 1965
2	8.72 ft	April 6, 1997
3	8.19 ft	March 27, 2009
4	8.17 ft	April 16, 2023
5	8.08 ft	April 14, 2001
6	7.96 ft	April 11, 1969
7	7.89 ft	April 13, 1951
8	7.78 ft	April 13, 1952
9	7.33 ft	March 22, 1972
10	7.20 ft	April 25, 2001

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 32° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 68° 44° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 64° 39° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 67° 45° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 73° 49° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 75° 61° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 73° 57° 0.07 in Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min First quarter 49%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mississippi River at St. CloudRiver gauge, Mississippi River	4.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	4.3 mi
Mississippi River near RoyaltonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	1,700 cfs	Low	±0	19 mi
Elk River near Big LakeRiver gauge, Elk River	67.9 cfs	Very low	+3.9 cfs	32 mi
Crow River at RockfordRiver gauge, Crow River	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	41 mi
Long Prairie River at Long PrairieRiver gauge, Long Prairie River	1.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	42 mi
Elm Creek near ChamplinRiver gauge, Elm Creek	4.9 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	47 mi
Mississippi River at Us Highway 169 at ChamplinRiver gauge, Mississippi River	4.32 ft	Below flood stage	±0	48 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Sauk River near St. Cloud?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 4.45 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 Sauk River near St. Cloud today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT, the water level was 1.55 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Sauk River near St. Cloud rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Sauk River near St. Cloud normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Sauk River near St. Cloud?

The highest level on record is 10.68 ft on April 13, 1965.

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:05270500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.55963, -94.23375 (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	1.55 ft	2026-10-18 10:00	Provisional
Flow	135 cfs	2026-10-18 10:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sauk River near St. Cloud (usgs:05270500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/sauk-river-near-st-cloud

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