Atchafalaya River at Simmesport water level

Name: Atchafalaya River at Simmesport 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, Atchafalaya River, Louisiana, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

10.47ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 146,000 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.80 ft by Monday, November 2 at 06:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:45 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Atchafalaya River at Simmesport, where the gauge shows 10.47 ft.

The median for mid-October is 9.40 ft, based on 12 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.08 ft above typical. It is 29.53 ft below the flood stage of 40.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.84 ft, a difference of +4.63 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.80 ft by Monday, November 2 at 06:00 AM. The 30-day range is 6.19 ft – 11.59 ft.

Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 9.40 ft1.08 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.16 ft – 22.68 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (12 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.84 ft+4.63 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.19 ft – 11.59 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.07 ft – 23.84 ft
Highest on record: 59.13 ftMay 16, 1927
Forecast peak: 10.40 ftMonday, October 19 at 01:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 40.00 ft.

What happens at each level

61.00 ft: The river level is at the net grade protection of the levee system
60.00 ft: The river is at the lowest height of the back ring protection levee around the city of Simmesport
43.00 ft: The river stage is at the natural ground elevation of areas protected by the levee system
40.00 ft: There will be flooding of areas inside the levees of the Atchafalaya floodway. Considerable flooding in the backwater storage area in Avoyelles Parish.
35.00 ft: Backwater flooding of unprotected areas above Simmesport will begin
10.47 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	59.13 ft	May 16, 1927
2	57.33 ft	May 16, 1922
3	57.14 ft	April 30, 1945
4	55.83 ft	May 13, 1912
5	55.03 ft	March 1, 1937
6	54.78 ft	May 15, 1973
7	54.23 ft	March 1, 1916
8	54.23 ft	March 4, 1950
9	53.43 ft	March 7, 1932
10	52.63 ft	May 9, 1913

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 75° 46° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 76° 51° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 81° 54° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 83° 53° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 85° 56° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 88° 57° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 85° 57° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:13 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Atchafalaya River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Atchafalaya River at Butte La RoseRiver gauge, Atchafalaya River	5.15 ft	Normal	+0.25 ft	49 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bayou Des Glaises Div Ch near MoreauvilleRiver gauge, Bayou Des Glaises Div Ch	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Old River Outflow Channel below Hydropower ChannelRiver gauge, Old River Outflow Channel	14.13 ft	Normal	−0.33 ft	11 mi
Bayou Des Glaises Diversion Ch. at MoreauvilleRiver gauge, Bayou Des Glaises Diversion Ch.	2.89 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Red River 6.5 miles below Black RiverRiver gauge, Red River 6.5 miles	11.38 ft	Very high	+0.12 ft	17 mi
Little River at Boggy Bayou Rd e of MarksvilleRiver gauge, Little River	40.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	17 mi
State Canal near Krotz SpringsRiver gauge, State Canal	10.11 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	29 mi
Bayou Courtableau at WashingtonRiver gauge, Bayou Courtableau	18.31 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	29 mi
Buffalo River near WoodvilleRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.79 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Atchafalaya River at Simmesport higher than last year?

Yes, it is 4.63 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.84 ft.

What is flood stage for the Atchafalaya River at Simmesport?

The official flood stage is 40.00 ft. The level is currently 29.53 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Atchafalaya River at Simmesport in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 9.40 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.16 ft and 22.68 ft, based on 12 years of records.

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 Atchafalaya River at Simmesport today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT, the water level was 10.47 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Atchafalaya River at Simmesport rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 1.52 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Atchafalaya River at Simmesport normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07381490 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.98250, -91.79833 (WGS84)
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	10.47 ft	2026-10-19 18:30	Provisional
Flow	146,000 cfs	2026-10-19 18:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Atchafalaya River at Simmesport (usgs:07381490). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/louisiana/atchafalaya-river-at-simmesport

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