Calcasieu River near Oberlin water level

Name: Calcasieu River near Oberlin 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

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.03ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT (15 min ago)

Flow: 40.5 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 1.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 07:38 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Calcasieu River near Oberlin is running far below normal at 1.03 ft.

The median for mid-October is 1.96 ft, based on 52 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.94 ft below typical. It is 11.97 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.13 ft, a difference of −0.10 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.98 ft and 1.11 ft.

Compared with 52 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.96 ft0.94 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.10 ft – 7.78 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (52 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.13 ft−0.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.98 ft – 1.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.03 ft – 15.73 ft
Highest on record: 26.53 ftMay 19, 1953
Forecast peak: 1.10 ftMonday, October 19 at 07:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Calcasieu River near Oberlin

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

Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 11.97 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: Water is at top of elevated mobile home along the river.
26.50 ft: The river is at its flood of record. Widespread major to catastrophic flooding will occur.
26.40 ft: FEMA flood insurance maps indicate that at 26.4 feet, if you are located in the 1% (100 year) flood plain your property is at a high risk for flooding. A 1 percent flood is a flood that has a one percent or greater chance of occurring in any given year.
26.00 ft: Flooding begins to impact Highway 26 east of the bridge. Several homes near the river are subject to flooding.
19.00 ft: Major flooding will occur. Secondary roads and homes near the river will be affected. Reeds Bridge Road begins to flood upstream of oberlin.
15.00 ft: Moderate flooding will occur with several access roads to the river flooded.
13.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding near the river will occur.
12.00 ft: Water begins to overflow the banks on both sides of the river.
1.03 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	26.53 ft	May 19, 1953
2	24.70 ft	July 2, 1989
3	24.33 ft	December 30, 1982
4	23.07 ft	February 14, 1966
5	22.88 ft	March 14, 2016
6	22.16 ft	April 6, 2017
7	21.88 ft	October 11, 2020
8	21.54 ft	February 16, 1950
9	21.00 ft	April 7, 1923
10	20.87 ft	May 16, 2004

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 11 hr, 18 min First quarter 65%

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	+0.01 ft	26 mi
Calcasieu River near OakdaleRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	7.99 ft	Very low	±0	15 mi
Calcasieu River near KinderRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	1.49 ft	Very low	−0.12 ft	11 mi
Calcasieu River at Hwy 171 at Moss BluffRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	25.69 ft	No reference yet	+0.30 ft	33 mi
Calcasieu River at I-10 at Lake CharlesRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	1.11 ft	Very low	−0.15 ft	38 mi
Calcasieu River at CameronEstuary gauge, Calcasieu River	6.46 ft	Very high	−0.19 ft	65 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ouiska Chitto Creek Near OberlinRiver gauge	2.72 ft	Normal	±0	6.2 mi
Bayou Nezpique near BasileRiver gauge, Bayou Nezpique	1.73 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Bundick Lake at Spillway near DeRidderLake, Bundick Lake	95.03 ft	Below flood stage	±0	18 mi
Bayou Des Cannes near EuniceRiver gauge, Bayou Des Cannes	0.08 ft	Very low	−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 Mallet at Hwy 91 north of IotaRiver gauge, Bayou Mallet	1.75 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	25 mi
Bayou Des Cannes west of IotaRiver gauge	11.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Calcasieu River near Oberlin higher than last year?

No, it is 0.10 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.13 ft.

What is flood stage for the Calcasieu River near Oberlin?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 11.97 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 1.96 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.10 ft and 7.78 ft, based on 52 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 Oberlin today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT, the water level was 1.03 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Calcasieu River near Oberlin rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Calcasieu River near Oberlin normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 52 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:08013500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.64048, -92.81404 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	1.03 ft	2026-10-20 04:15	Provisional
Flow	40.5 cfs	2026-10-20 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Calcasieu River near Oberlin (usgs:08013500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/louisiana/calcasieu-river-near-oberlin

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