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Rainbow River at Dunnellon water level

River gauge, Rainbow River, Florida, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.27ft Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
495 cfs
4 5

History

History
3.54.04.55.0ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 183.54.04.55.0ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
45ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 1845ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
345ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026345ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
345ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026345ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Rainbow River at Dunnellon, where the gauge shows 4.27 ft.

That puts it 0.37 ft above the median of 3.90 ft for mid-October, based on 20 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 3.38 ft (+0.89 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.27 ft – 5.12 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.90 ft0.37 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.39 ft – 5.07 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Same day last year
3.38 ft+0.89 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.27 ft – 5.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.23 ft – 5.12 ft

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 74° 55° – Wind 18 mph
19 Mon 77° 59° – Wind 16 mph
20 Tue 77° 55° – Wind 12 mph
21 Wed 80° 59° 0.00 in Wind 12 mph
22 Thu 78° 60° – Wind 11 mph
23 Fri 78° 58° – Wind 13 mph
24 Sat 77° 62° 0.07 in Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 24 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Rainbow River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Rainbow River below Rainbow Springs State ParkRiver gauge, Rainbow River 6.82 ft No reference yet −0.01 ft 3.4 mi
Rainbow River near DunnellonRiver gauge, Rainbow River 6.17 ft Normal −0.10 ft 2.0 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Withlacoochee River at US 41 at DunnellonRiver gauge, Withlacoochee River 28.43 ft Flooding −0.11 ft 1.0 mi
Withlacoochee River at SR 200 near HolderRiver gauge, Withlacoochee River 1.94 ft Low −0.12 ft 7 mi
Withlacoochee River below Inglis Dam near DunnellonRiver gauge, Withlacoochee River −1.34 ft Very low −0.65 ft 11 mi
Withlacoochee River at Inglis Dam near DunnellonRiver gauge, Withlacoochee River 27.32 ft Normal +0.03 ft 11 mi
Withlacoochee R Bypass Channel near Inglis FlaRiver gauge, Withlacoochee R Bypass Channel 27.15 ft Normal +0.03 ft 12 mi
Gum Springs near HolderRiver gauge, Gum Springs 8.97 ft Low ±0 14 mi
Withlacoochee River near InvernessRiver gauge, Withlacoochee River 21.42 ft Low −0.03 ft 14 mi
Saragassa Canal at Crystal RiverCanal gauge, Saragassa Canal 281 cfs Very high −15.0 cfs 14 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Rainbow River at Dunnellon compare with last year?

It is 0.89 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.38 ft.

What is a normal level for the Rainbow River at Dunnellon in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.90 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.39 ft and 5.07 ft, based on 20 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 Rainbow River at Dunnellon today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT, the water level was 4.27 ft. Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Rainbow River at Dunnellon rising or falling?

Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.58 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rainbow River at Dunnellon normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 20 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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02313100 (Agency page)
Coordinates
29.04917, -82.44778 (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 4.27 ft 2026-10-18 17:45 Provisional
Flow 495 cfs 2026-10-18 17:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rainbow River at Dunnellon (usgs:02313100). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/florida/rainbow-river-at-dunnellon

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.