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Missouri River near St. James water level

River gauge, Missouri River, Nebraska, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

32.07ft Steady over the last 24 hours

35 40 45 Minor floodstage 45.00 ft Highest onrecord 39.50 ft

History

History
354045ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19Minor flood stage354045ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19Minor flood stage
354045ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 19Minor flood stage354045ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
30354045ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage30354045ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
303540ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026303540ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Missouri River near St. James: the gauge reads 32.07 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 33.45 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.38 ft below typical. It is 12.93 ft below the flood stage of 45.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 32.33 ft, a difference of −0.26 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 31.91 ft – 32.42 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
33.45 ft1.38 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
32.34 ft – 38.29 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year
32.33 ft−0.26 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
31.91 ft – 32.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
29.79 ft – 35.50 ft
Highest on record
39.50 ftMarch 15, 2019

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 45.00 ft.

What happens at each level

50.00 ft
Houses along Blue Ribbon Lane downstream of the gauge on the Nebraska side will begin flooding.
48.00 ft
Some cabins in and downstream of Brooky Bottom Park are flooded.
45.00 ft
The boat ramp and parking lot at Brooky Bottom Park begin to flood. Significant flooding of agricultural lands begins on the South Dakota side of the river, and water reaches into some yards on the Nebraska side.
43.00 ft
Minor flooding of agricultural land begins on the South Dakota side of the river.
32.07 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
139.50 ftMarch 15, 2019
236.61 ftJanuary 5, 2015
335.96 ftSeptember 12, 2014
435.85 ftDecember 30, 2025
535.62 ftJune 25, 2024
634.91 ftApril 1, 2020
734.56 ftJanuary 14, 2017
834.43 ftJanuary 8, 2022
934.26 ftSeptember 3, 2013
1034.06 ftJanuary 20, 2016

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.55 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 73° 43° – Wind 15 mph
19 Mon 66° 43° – Wind 11 mph
20 Tue 70° 45° – Wind 15 mph
21 Wed 77° 54° – Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 79° 59° – Wind 10 mph
23 Fri 76° 62° 0.05 in Wind 21 mph
24 Sat 69° 51° 0.15 in, 35% Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Missouri River below GreenwoodRiver gauge, Missouri River 24.62 ft Normal −0.15 ft 65 mi
Missouri River below Ponca Creek near VerdelRiver gauge, Missouri River 21.14 ft Normal −0.14 ft 51 mi
Missouri River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Missouri River 16.96 ft Low −0.20 ft 46 mi
Missouri River at YanktonRiver gauge, Missouri River 10.14 ft Very low −0.04 ft 17 mi
Missouri River near MaskellRiver gauge, Missouri River 21.16 ft Normal ±0 7 mi
Missouri River at Sioux CityRiver gauge, Missouri River 10.55 ft Below flood stage +0.09 ft 39 mi
Missouri River at DecaturRiver gauge, Missouri River 19.09 ft Below flood stage +0.07 ft 67 mi
Missouri River at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River 13.48 ft Below flood stage −0.22 ft 120 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 92 at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River 13.95 ft Very low −0.08 ft 122 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 370 at BellevueRiver gauge, Missouri River 15.38 ft Very low −0.20 ft 128 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bow Creek near WynotRiver gauge, Bow Creek 2.20 ft Low +0.01 ft 4.6 mi
James River near YanktonRiver gauge, James River 3.45 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 22 mi
Big Sioux River at AkronRiver gauge, Big Sioux River 5.70 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 27 mi
Big Sioux River near JeffersonRiver gauge, Big Sioux River 9.52 ft Below flood stage +0.13 ft 30 mi
Big Sioux River at Sioux CityRiver gauge, Big Sioux River 10.03 ft Very low +0.12 ft 35 mi
Logan Creek at WakefieldRiver gauge, Logan Creek 6.99 ft Low ±0 35 mi
Big Sioux River near HawardenRiver gauge, Big Sioux River 12.05 ft Below flood stage −0.13 ft 36 mi
Perry Creek near MillnervilleRiver gauge, Perry Creek 0.97 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 36 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Missouri River near St. James higher than last year?

No, it is 0.26 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 32.33 ft.

What is flood stage for the Missouri River near St. James?

The official flood stage is 45.00 ft. The level is currently 12.93 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Missouri River near St. James in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 33.45 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 32.34 ft and 38.29 ft, based on 9 years of records.

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 Missouri River near St. James today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:30 AM CDT, the water level was 32.07 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River near St. James rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Missouri River near St. James normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06478523 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.76111, -97.08194 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 32.07 ft 2026-10-19 07:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River near St. James (usgs:06478523). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/missouri-river-near-st-james

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.