Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar. water level

Name: Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar. 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, Arkansas River, Arkansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

11.22ft Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 PM CDT (58 min ago)

Flow: 17,000 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar. reads 11.22 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The level is falling, down 0.38 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 11.03 ft and 11.82 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

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Arkansas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Arkansas River at RalstonRiver gauge, Arkansas River	4.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.61 ft	150 mi
Arkansas River at SH 344 near TulsaRiver gauge, Arkansas River	6.98 ft	No reference yet	−0.14 ft	105 mi
Arkansas River at TulsaRiver gauge, Arkansas River	3.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	102 mi
Arkansas River near HaskellRiver gauge, Arkansas River	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	74 mi
Arkansas River near MuskogeeRiver gauge, Arkansas River	18.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	55 mi
Arkansas River at GoreRiver gauge, Arkansas River	60.40 ft	Normal	+0.07 ft	40 mi
Arkansas River at DardanelleRiver gauge, Arkansas River	6.05 ft	Below flood stage	+1.07 ft	73 mi
Arkansas River near MorriltonRiver gauge, Arkansas River	9.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.14 ft	98 mi
Arkansas River at Murray Dam near Little RockRiver gauge, Arkansas River	474 cfs	Low	±0	124 mi
Arkansas River at Little RockRiver gauge, Arkansas River	7.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	130 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
AR River at Van BurenRiver gauge, AR River	18.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.37 ft	5.1 mi
Lee Creek at Lee Creek Reservoir near Van BurenReservoir, Lee Creek	10.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.45 ft	7 mi
AR River at James W. Trimble L&D near Van BurenRiver gauge, AR River	391.70 ft	Below flood stage	+20.64 ft	8 mi
Lee Creek near ShortRiver gauge, Lee Creek	0.0 cfs	Very low	±0	9 mi
Little Lee Creek near NicutRiver gauge, Little Lee Creek	0.3 cfs	Low	±0	14 mi
James Fork near HackettRiver gauge, James Fork	1.6 cfs	Low	−0.4 cfs	16 mi
Poteau River near PanamaRiver gauge, Poteau River	5.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	20 mi
Mulberry River near MulberryRiver gauge, Mulberry River	0.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	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 Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar. today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 PM CDT, the water level was 11.22 ft. Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar. rising or falling?

Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar. 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:07249455 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.39176, -94.43244 (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	11.22 ft	2026-10-19 17:15	Provisional
Flow	17,000 cfs	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/13719?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar. water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar. (usgs:07249455). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arkansas/arkansas-river-at-ft-smith-ar

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