St. Joseph River at Niles water level

Name: St. Joseph River at Niles 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, St. Joseph River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.53ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:45 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2,690 cfs
Water temperature: 58 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The St. Joseph River at Niles is at 5.53 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.47 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.30 ft and 5.72 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 58 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 17.33 ftFebruary 22, 2018

Floating and fishing near St. Joseph River at Niles

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 5.47 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Major flooding can be expected in Niles. High water will affect Water, Marmont, River, and 2nd Streets in Niles. High water will also affect residents living on the first floor of buildings along River Street.
14.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs in Niles. High water will affect Water Street, and low sections of Marmont and River Streets in Niles. Lowland flooding surrounding Island Park and low lying areas along the river near the wastewater treatment plant can be expected.
12.50 ft: Minor flooding of low lying areas adjacent to the river as well as flooding of basements in Niles can be expected.
11.00 ft: Minor flooding of low lying areas adjacent to the river, Island Park, and basement flooding of residences along River and Mairmont Streets in Niles can be expected.
10.00 ft: High water affects Island Park in Niles.
9.00 ft: Minor overflow can be expected into low lying areas adjacent to the river.
5.53 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: 11 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.33 ft	February 22, 2018
2	15.10 ft	April 5, 1950
3	14.97 ft	March 21, 1982
4	14.96 ft	February 25, 1985
5	14.19 ft	January 9, 2008
6	13.82 ft	March 11, 2009
7	13.78 ft	May 26, 1943
8	13.77 ft	January 5, 1993
9	13.60 ft	June 10, 1993
10	13.58 ft	December 31, 1990

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 66° 36° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 68° 40° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 68° 46° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 70° 49° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 51° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 69° 50° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 61° 50° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:02 AM Sunset 06:59 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the St. Joseph River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. Joseph River at BurlingtonRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	3.41 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	63 mi
St. Joseph River at Three RiversRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	3.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	33 mi
St. Joseph River at MottvilleRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	26 mi
St. Joseph River at ElkhartRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	19.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	17 mi
St. Joseph River at South BendRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	0.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	8 mi
St. Joseph River at BertrandRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	9.46 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	3.8 mi
St. Joseph River near Fort WayneRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	2.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	77 mi
St. Joseph River at Parnell Av at Fort WayneRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	7.15 ft	No reference yet	+0.05 ft	77 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dowagiac River at SumnervilleRiver gauge, Dowagiac River	5.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	6 mi
Judy Creek near South BendRiver gauge, Judy Creek	12.4 cfs	Normal	±0	7 mi
Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near DowagiacRiver gauge, Dowagiac River	90.4 cfs	Normal	−6.1 cfs	16 mi
Galien River near SawyerRiver gauge, Galien River	44.3 cfs	Normal	−3.7 cfs	17 mi
Dowagiac Creek at Dutch Settlement Road near Dowagiac,River gauge, Dowagiac Creek	35.8 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	17 mi
Osborn Drain at Dewey Lake St near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Osborn Drain	11.6 cfs	Normal	−1.6 cfs	18 mi
Paw Paw River at RiversideRiver gauge, Paw Paw River	7.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the St. Joseph River at Niles?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 5.47 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 St. Joseph River at Niles today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:45 AM EDT, the water level was 5.53 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is St. Joseph River at Niles rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of St. Joseph River at Niles normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at St. Joseph River at Niles?

The highest level on record is 17.33 ft on February 22, 2018.

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:04101500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.82921, -86.25973 (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	5.53 ft	2026-10-19 10:45	Provisional
Flow	2,690 cfs	2026-10-19 10:45	Provisional
Water temperature	58 °F	2026-10-19 10:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: St. Joseph River at Niles (usgs:04101500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/st-joseph-river-at-niles

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