Wabash River at Bluffton water level

Name: Wabash River at Bluffton 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, Wabash River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.82ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 08:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 107 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Wabash River at Bluffton, where the gauge shows 1.82 ft.

It is 8.18 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.81 ft – 1.99 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.00 ftMarch 25, 1913

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

20.50 ft: Flood water hits the highest point of the bottom of the bridge at the gage site.
20.00 ft: Water is at the top of the levee protecting the wastewater treatment plant. The power plant area is affected by high water with extensive flooding of rural areas. Homes are flooded and some county and state roads are closed. Flood water may stop rail traffic. A record flood is in progress at this stage. There is extensive flooding or northern parts of Bluffton. The commercial area in northwest Bluffton along SR 1 is affected by flood water. Some evacutations are necessary.
18.00 ft: Water approaches the power plant. Rural residences along Elm Road begin to flood and the railroad is threatened. A major flood is in progress. Commercial and municipal property along SR 1 begins to flood. Evacuations are necessary in northern parts of Bluffton. Water is at a critical level on the levee protecting the wastewater treatment plant.
16.00 ft: The outlying portion of West Washington Street becomes impassible and SR 116 west of Bluffton begins to flood.
14.00 ft: Flooding begins to affect residential areas in northern Bluffton. Low areas near the wastewater treatment plant begin to flood. Portions of Elm Grove Road and County Road 450 begin to flood.
13.30 ft: River Road in Bluffton is flooded and closed along the River Green Way.
13.00 ft: Access road to Bluffton wastewater treatment plant is flooded.
12.00 ft: Water reaching the bottom of the bridge at East River Road and 450 East. River Road and a few county roads are closed by high water.
11.00 ft: River Road at Bluffton begins to flood. Flood waters isolate the amphitheater at Kehoe Park in Bluffton.
10.00 ft: The river is at flood stage. Flooding of agricultural land begins.
1.82 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: 39 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.00 ft	March 25, 1913
2	18.43 ft	July 9, 2003
3	17.17 ft	January 14, 2005
4	16.74 ft	June 19, 2015
5	16.70 ft	March 1, 1904
6	16.43 ft	February 7, 2008
7	16.20 ft	February 25, 1985
8	16.12 ft	March 2, 2011
9	16.07 ft	February 15, 1950
10	16.00 ft	March 13, 1982

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Wabash River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wabash River at Linn GroveRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.00 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	10 mi
Wabash River at MarkleRiver gauge, Wabash River	62.51 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Wabash River at HuntingtonRiver gauge, Wabash River	10.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Wabash River at AndrewsRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.35 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Wabash River near LagroRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.21 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Wabash River at WabashRiver gauge, Wabash River	3.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	34 mi
Wabash River at PeruRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	47 mi
Wabash River at LogansportRiver gauge, Wabash River	3.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	63 mi
Wabash River at DelphiRiver gauge, Wabash River	3.04 ft	No reference yet	−0.59 ft	81 mi
Wabash River at LafayetteRiver gauge, Wabash River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.73 ft	93 mi
Wabash River at IndependenceRiver gauge, Wabash River	6.33 ft	No reference yet	−0.72 ft	109 mi
Wabash River at CovingtonRiver gauge, Wabash River	7.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.36 ft	125 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. Marys River at DecaturRiver gauge, St. Marys River	3.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	14 mi
Salamonie River near WarrenRiver gauge, Salamonie River	6.61 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Little River near HuntingtonRiver gauge, Little River	2.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	17 mi
St. Marys River near Fort WayneRiver gauge, St. Marys River	1.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	17 mi
St. Marys River at Pleasant MillsRiver gauge, St. Marys River	53.8 cfs	Normal	±0	17 mi
St Marys River at Walcot Street at Willshire OHRiver gauge, St Marys River	38.0 cfs	Normal	±0	20 mi
Junk Ditch at Fort WayneCanal gauge, Junk Ditch	0.2 cfs	Normal	−1.8 cfs	22 mi
Salamonie River at PortlandRiver gauge, Salamonie River	2.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wabash River at Bluffton?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.18 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 Wabash River at Bluffton today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 08:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.82 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Wabash River at Bluffton rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wabash River at Bluffton normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wabash River at Bluffton?

The highest level on record is 21.00 ft on March 25, 1913.

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:03323000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.74236, -85.17144 (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	1.82 ft	2026-10-19 00:45	Provisional
Flow	107 cfs	2026-10-19 00:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wabash River at Bluffton (usgs:03323000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/wabash-river-at-bluffton

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