Calcasieu River near Oakdale water level

Name: Calcasieu River near Oakdale 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, Calcasieu River, Louisiana, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

8.00ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT (59 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Calcasieu River near Oakdale is running below normal at 8.00 ft.

The median for mid-October is 8.09 ft, based on 6 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.09 ft below typical. It is 9.00 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 8.03 ft, a difference of −0.03 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 7.97 ft and 8.02 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 6 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 8.09 ft0.09 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 8.00 ft – 8.28 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (6 years of records)
Same day last year: 8.03 ft−0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.97 ft – 8.02 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.98 ft – 17.31 ft
Highest on record: 27.62 ftMay 19, 1953

Floating and fishing near Calcasieu River near Oakdale

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 17.00 ft, 9.00 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

29.00 ft: Catastrophic flooding with upper level of sewage plant beginning to flood.
27.65 ft: River is at its flood of record. Flood waters reach the top of the rail on the railroad bridge. Considerable residential flooding will occur.
27.00 ft: Major flooding occurs with the river at the floor of the railroad bridge.
25.70 ft: Flood waters reach the underclearance of the railroad bridge.
24.00 ft: Approximately 60 homes are flooded.
22.00 ft: Approximately 50 homes are flooded.
21.00 ft: Lowland areas near lower level of sewage plant and approximately 30 homes begin to flood.
19.00 ft: Low secondary roads near the river begin to flood. Several houses in close proximity to the river are subject to flooding.
17.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding, mainly forested areas along the river will occur. Park and picnic ground off of Highway 10 begins to flood.
8.00 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	27.62 ft	May 19, 1953
2	26.36 ft	May 2, 1953
3	26.00 ft	June 30, 1989
4	24.70 ft	March 13, 2016
5	24.53 ft	February 13, 1966
6	24.10 ft	April 5, 2017
7	23.00 ft	May 16, 2004
8	21.80 ft	September 2, 2017
9	21.80 ft	March 24, 2012
10	21.00 ft	November 4, 2015

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr, 18 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Calcasieu River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Calcasieu River near GlenmoraRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	4.55 ft	Low	±0	12 mi
Calcasieu River near OberlinRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	1.01 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	15 mi
Calcasieu River near KinderRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	1.48 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	26 mi
Calcasieu River at Hwy 171 at Moss BluffRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	26.01 ft	No reference yet	−0.03 ft	48 mi
Calcasieu River at I-10 at Lake CharlesRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	1.98 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	52 mi
Calcasieu River at CameronEstuary gauge, Calcasieu River	6.87 ft	Very high	+0.47 ft	80 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ouiska Chitto Creek Near OberlinRiver gauge	2.72 ft	Normal	±0	15 mi
Bayou Cocodrie near ClearwaterRiver gauge, Bayou Cocodrie	5.30 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Ouiska Chitto Creek at Hwy 399 NW of SugartownRiver gauge, Ouiska Chitto Creek	1.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Bayou Nezpique near BasileRiver gauge, Bayou Nezpique	1.70 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Bundick Lake at Spillway near DeRidderLake, Bundick Lake	95.01 ft	Below flood stage	±0	25 mi
Bayou Des Cannes near EuniceRiver gauge, Bayou Des Cannes	0.06 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Bayou Mallet at Hwy 91 north of IotaRiver gauge, Bayou Mallet	1.74 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	32 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Calcasieu River near Oakdale higher than last year?

No, it is 0.03 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 8.03 ft.

What is flood stage for the Calcasieu River near Oakdale?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 9.00 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Calcasieu River near Oakdale in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 8.09 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 8.00 ft and 8.28 ft, based on 6 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 Calcasieu River near Oakdale today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT, the water level was 8.00 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Calcasieu River near Oakdale rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Calcasieu River near Oakdale normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 6 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:08013250 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.82228, -92.68467 (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	8.00 ft	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Calcasieu River near Oakdale (usgs:08013250). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/louisiana/calcasieu-river-near-oakdale

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