Black River near Bessemer water level

Name: Black River near Bessemer 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, Black River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.01ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:00 PM CDT (17 min ago)

Flow: 14.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Black River near Bessemer, where the gauge shows 2.01 ft.

It is 7.99 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.01 ft – 2.25 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: 14.27 ftApril 24, 1960

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

14.00 ft: Water innundates the bridge on Hedbery Road and portions of Black River Road in the vicinity
12.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of Hedberg Road Bridge
10.00 ft: Which is flood stage...water impacts low lying areas of properties along Black River Road and Hedberg Road
2.01 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.27 ft	April 24, 1960
2	13.54 ft	April 17, 2002
3	12.23 ft	April 30, 2013
4	12.16 ft	May 12, 2003
5	11.73 ft	August 16, 1972
6	11.41 ft	April 23, 2019
7	11.38 ft	April 12, 2023
8	9.93 ft	April 12, 2001
9	9.88 ft	April 13, 1964
10	9.84 ft	April 2, 1963

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 41 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Black River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Black River at NeillsvilleRiver gauge, Black River	3.31 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	137 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Gogebic near BerglandLake, Lake Gogebic	1.53 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	26 mi
Tyler Forks River at Stricker Road near MellenRiver gauge, Tyler Forks River	3.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	26 mi
West Branch Ontonagon River near BerglandRiver gauge, West Branch Ontonagon River	1.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Bad River near OdanahRiver gauge, Bad River	2.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	30 mi
Bad River at OdanahRiver gauge, Bad River	2.06 ft	Low	+0.20 ft	30 mi
Marengo River near MellenRiver gauge, Marengo River	49.6 cfs	Low	−6.3 cfs	32 mi
Bear River near Manitowish WatersRiver gauge, Bear River	8.2 cfs	Very low	−0.9 cfs	32 mi
Cisco Branch Ontonagon River at Cisco Lake OutletRiver gauge, Cisco Branch Ontonagon River	0.5 cfs	Very low	−0.1 cfs	35 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Black River near Bessemer?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.99 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 Black River near Bessemer today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:00 PM CDT, the water level was 2.01 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Black River near Bessemer rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Black River near Bessemer normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Black River near Bessemer?

The highest level on record is 14.27 ft on April 24, 1960.

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:04031000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.51134, -90.07462 (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	2.01 ft	2026-10-20 00:00	Provisional
Flow	14.7 cfs	2026-10-20 00:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Black River near Bessemer (usgs:04031000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/black-river-near-bessemer

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