St. Louis River at Scanlon water level

Name: St. Louis River at Scanlon 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, St. Louis River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.61ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 414 cfs
Water temperature: 53 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The St. Louis River at Scanlon is at 2.61 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.89 ft below the flood stage of 10.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.50 ft and 2.62 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 53 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.62 ftJune 21, 2012

Floating and fishing near St. Louis River at Scanlon

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 10.50 ft, 7.89 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Wide spread flooding for areas adjacent to the St. Louis River.
14.50 ft: Flood waters enter buildings near River Gate Road if unprotected.
13.00 ft: Water encroaches buildings near River Gate Rd.
11.00 ft: Water encroaches on the lowest sites at the Fond du Lac Campground and Chambers Grove Park.
10.50 ft: Minor flooding occurs of low areas adjacent to the river near Cloquet city park and near Scanlon.
2.61 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	16.62 ft	June 21, 2012
2	15.80 ft	May 9, 1950
3	13.93 ft	April 23, 1979
4	13.52 ft	April 16, 2023
5	12.76 ft	October 13, 1973
6	12.62 ft	April 19, 1996
7	12.60 ft	April 15, 1969
8	12.45 ft	July 10, 1999
9	12.20 ft	April 18, 1982
10	12.19 ft	April 25, 2001

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.11 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 31° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 65° 42° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 56° 39° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 64° 42° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 68° 44° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 58° 47° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 65° 48° 0.04 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 10 hr, 47 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the St. Louis River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. Louis River near SkiboRiver gauge, St. Louis River	1.7 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	57 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Stoney Brook at Pine Drive near BrookstonRiver gauge, Stoney Brook	3.64 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	12 mi
Nemadji River near South SuperiorRiver gauge, Nemadji River	3.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Tamarack R. at 480th St near WrightRiver gauge, Tamarack R.	9.52 ft	No reference yet	+0.06 ft	31 mi
Knife River near Two HarborsRiver gauge, Knife River	25.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	34 mi
Bois Brule River at BruleRiver gauge, Bois Brule River	113 cfs	Very low	−3.0 cfs	41 mi
Kettle River below SandstoneRiver gauge, Kettle River	88.3 cfs	Very low	+1.9 cfs	46 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the St. Louis River at Scanlon?

The official flood stage is 10.50 ft. The level is currently 7.89 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 St. Louis River at Scanlon today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT, the water level was 2.61 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is St. Louis River at Scanlon rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of St. Louis River at Scanlon normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at St. Louis River at Scanlon?

The highest level on record is 16.62 ft on June 21, 2012.

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:04024000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.70351, -92.41838 (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	2.61 ft	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional
Flow	414 cfs	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional
Water temperature	53 °F	2026-10-18 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: St. Louis River at Scanlon (usgs:04024000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/st-louis-river-at-scanlon

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