Spirit Lake near Orleans water level

Name: Spirit Lake near Orleans water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

14.21ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM CDT (46 min ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 14.21 ft, Spirit Lake near Orleans is holding more water than usual for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 13.38 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 0.83 ft above typical. It is 1.79 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 13.88 ft, a difference of +0.33 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 14.19 ft – 14.33 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 13.38 ft0.83 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 12.24 ft – 13.94 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 13.88 ft+0.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 14.19 ft – 14.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 13.74 ft – 14.73 ft
Highest on record: 18.79 ftJuly 18, 1993

Boating and fishing at Spirit Lake near Orleans

When a lake runs high, docks and swimming areas may close for a while and floating logs become a real hazard for boats.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Yards and basements of homes along the lake shore start flooding.
17.00 ft: Water overflows the spillway channel, and camping areas, parks, and parking lots start to flood.
16.00 ft: The Emergency Lake-wide 5 mph rule on Big Spirit Lake is enacted.
14.21 ft: Right now
14.20 ft: Water from Spirit Lake starts going over the spillway into East Okoboji Lake.

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.79 ft	July 18, 1993
2	16.48 ft	June 25, 2024
3	15.94 ft	July 5, 2018
4	15.76 ft	April 12, 1995
5	15.72 ft	July 10, 1969
6	15.68 ft	March 31, 2007
7	15.66 ft	June 24, 1945
8	15.63 ft	April 21, 1992
9	15.59 ft	June 17, 1944
10	15.58 ft	March 26, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.46 in.

18 Sun 66° 44° – Wind 21 mph

19 Mon 62° 39° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 66° 45° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° 0.01 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 75° 56° 0.01 in Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 71° 58° – Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 67° 52° – Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near MilfordLake, West Okoboji Lake	4.14 ft	Very high	±0	7 mi
Des Moines River at JacksonRiver gauge, Des Moines River	6.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	13 mi
Des Moines River at EsthervilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	2.29 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Ocheyedan River near SpencerRiver gauge, Ocheyedan River	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	24 mi
Des Moines River above WindomRiver gauge, Des Moines River	9.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	29 mi
Des Moines River at EmmetsburgRiver gauge, Des Moines River	1.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	32 mi
Willow Creek near CornellRiver gauge, Willow Creek	82.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	34 mi
Little Floyd River near SanbornRiver gauge, Little Floyd River	83.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

Is Spirit Lake near Orleans higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.33 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 13.88 ft.

What is a normal level for Spirit Lake near Orleans in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 13.38 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 12.24 ft and 13.94 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of Spirit Lake near Orleans today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM CDT, the water level was 14.21 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Spirit Lake near Orleans rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Spirit Lake near Orleans normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Spirit Lake near Orleans?

The highest level on record is 18.79 ft on July 18, 1993.

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:06604000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.46992, -95.12433 (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	14.21 ft	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Spirit Lake near Orleans (usgs:06604000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/spirit-lake-near-orleans

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