Lemhi River near McFarland water level

Name: Lemhi River near McFarland 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, Lemhi River, Idaho, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.94ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 AM MDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 97.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Lemhi River near McFarland is at 2.94 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.91 ft and 2.97 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

Floating and fishing near Lemhi River near McFarland

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 70° 35° – Wind 13 mph

18 Sun 69° 39° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 67° 42° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 65° 46° 0.01 in Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 65° 46° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 66° 44° 0.07 in, 43% Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 49° 35° 0.81 in, 64% Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Lemhi River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lemhi River near LemhiRiver gauge, Lemhi River	3.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Lemhi River below L5 Diversion near SalmonRiver gauge, Lemhi River	163 cfs	Normal	+6.0 cfs	26 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Timber Creek above Mouth at Leadore IDRiver gauge, Big Timber Creek	6.1 cfs	Very high	+0.7 cfs	12 mi
Pahsimeroi River at EllisRiver gauge, Pahsimeroi River	191 cfs	Very low	±0	25 mi
Salmon River at SalmonRiver gauge, Salmon River	2.32 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	31 mi
Clark Canyon ReservoirReservoir	5,516.99 ft	Normal		37 mi
Panther Creek at CobaltRiver gauge, Panther Creek	33.3 cfs	Normal	±0	38 mi
Napias Creek below Arnett Creek near LeesburgRiver gauge, Napias Creek	10.2 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	39 mi
Beaverhead River at Barretts MTRiver gauge, Beaverhead River	92.6 cfs	Very low	−2.0 cfs	45 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 Lemhi River near McFarland today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 AM MDT, the water level was 2.94 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lemhi River near McFarland rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lemhi River near McFarland 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:13304700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.80257, -113.56588 (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	2.94 ft	2026-10-20 07:00	Provisional
Flow	97.6 cfs	2026-10-20 07:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lemhi River near McFarland (usgs:13304700). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/lemhi-river-near-mcfarland

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