Ottawa River at Lima OH water level

Name: Ottawa River at Lima OH 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, Ottawa River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

11.09ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:30 AM EDT (21 min ago)

Flow: 3.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Ottawa River at Lima OH is at 11.09 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 11.06 ft and 11.24 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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.20 ftJune 16, 2015

Floating and fishing near Ottawa River at Lima OH

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.20 ft	June 16, 2015
2	20.81 ft	February 28, 2011
3	18.92 ft	December 22, 2013
4	17.92 ft	April 26, 2019
5	17.41 ft	May 10, 2021
6	17.27 ft	April 11, 2013
7	17.00 ft	May 19, 2020
8	16.43 ft	May 5, 2017
9	16.35 ft	November 19, 2017
10	15.98 ft	November 30, 2011

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Ottawa River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ottawa River at University of Toledo, Toledo OHRiver gauge, Ottawa River	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.39 ft	70 mi
Ottawa River near Kalida OHRiver gauge, Ottawa River	4.33 ft	Below flood stage	+0.14 ft	19 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Auglaize River near Fort Jennings OHRiver gauge, Auglaize River	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Riley Creek below Pandora OHRiver gauge, Riley Creek	2.7 cfs	Normal	+0.4 cfs	19 mi
Blanchard River at Ottawa OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River	4.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	21 mi
Blanchard River near Dupont OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River	39.8 cfs	Normal	+5.7 cfs	23 mi
Blanchard River at Gilboa OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River	24.3 cfs	Normal	−3.3 cfs	23 mi
Chickasaw Creek at St. Marys OHRiver gauge, Chickasaw Creek	0.8 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	25 mi
St. Marys River at Rockford OHRiver gauge, St. Marys River	1.68 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	27 mi
Scioto River at Kenton OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	45.3 cfs	Very high	+5.4 cfs	27 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 Ottawa River at Lima OH today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:30 AM EDT, the water level was 11.09 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ottawa River at Lima OH rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Ottawa River at Lima OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Ottawa River at Lima OH?

The highest level on record is 21.20 ft on June 16, 2015.

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:04187100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.72477, -84.12634 (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	11.09 ft	2026-10-18 07:30	Provisional
Flow	3.2 cfs	2026-10-18 07:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ottawa River at Lima OH (usgs:04187100). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/ottawa-river-at-lima-oh

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