Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette water level

Name: Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette 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, Vermilion River, Louisiana, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.93ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM CDT (42 min ago)

Flow: 695 cfs
Water temperature: 72 °F

History

7 days

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

What this means

The Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette is at 5.93 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.21 ft above the median of 5.72 ft for mid-October, based on 23 years of readings. It is 4.07 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.76 ft and 6.27 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 72 °F.

Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.72 ft0.21 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.58 ft – 8.17 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (23 years of records)
Highest on record: 24.87 ftAugust 9, 1940

Floating and fishing near Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette

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

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 4.07 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.90 ft: The river is at its flood of record. Water several feet deep in portions of Crowley, Lafayette, Kaplan and other nearby communities. Portions of Hwy 167 between Lafayette and Abbeville under 5 feet of water.
16.00 ft: Widespread major flooding will occur with numerous homes and roads flooded throughout Lafayette down stream to Abbeville and Perry. Large areas of inundation as result of backwater flooding of the coulees that drain in the river.
14.60 ft: Widespread moderate flooding will occur with a few homes flooded near the river or from backwater flooding of the coulees and bayou that intersect the river.
14.00 ft: Moderate flooding in Lafayette, with significant flooding near where coulees and bayous intersect the Vermilion River.
13.50 ft: Flooding of some yards near the river will occur. Significant flooding of Beaver Park and Vermilionville will occur.
11.50 ft: Minor flooding of Beaver Park and Vermilionville near the river will occur.
10.00 ft: Minor flooding of Heymann Park off of Highway 90 will occur.
5.93 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.87 ft	August 9, 1940
2	17.62 ft	August 15, 2016
3	16.80 ft	March 13, 1947
4	16.37 ft	April 8, 1942
5	15.81 ft	January 20, 1993
6	15.56 ft	May 17, 1980
7	15.35 ft	June 10, 2001
8	15.25 ft	May 23, 2021
9	15.00 ft	January 21, 1993
10	14.84 ft	April 22, 1977

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 80° 55° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 82° 54° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 83° 57° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 83° 58° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 83° 59° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 82° 57° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 83° 59° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Vermilion River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Vermilion River near LafayetteRiver gauge, Vermilion River	3.55 ft	Normal	−0.13 ft	2.2 mi
Vermilion River at Hwy 733 near LafayetteRiver gauge, Vermilion River	3.53 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	7 mi
Vermilion River at Hwy 92 at MiltonRiver gauge, Vermilion River	10.75 ft	No reference yet	+0.04 ft	9 mi
Vermilion River at WoodlawnRiver gauge, Vermilion River	4.69 ft	High	−0.05 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Vermillion Rvr N. of I-10 at LafayetteRiver gauge, Vermillion Rvr N. of I-10	5.23 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	3.8 mi
Ruth Canal near RuthRiver gauge, Ruth Canal	8.59 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Vermilion River (B. Vermilion) near CarencroRiver gauge, Vermilion River (B. Vermilion)	5.80 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	10 mi
Bayou Teche at Keystone L&D near St. MartinvilleRiver gauge, Bayou Teche	9.99 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Bayou Teche below Keystone L&D near St. MartinvilleRiver gauge, Bayou Teche	3.17 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	14 mi
Pontoon Bridge Canal near Butte LaroseRiver gauge, Pontoon Bridge Canal	5.52 ft	Normal	±0	16 mi
Lake Pelba at I-10 near HendersonLake, Lake Pelba	6.41 ft	Normal	±0	18 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 4.07 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.72 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.58 ft and 8.17 ft, based on 23 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 Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM CDT, the water level was 5.93 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette?

The highest level on record is 24.87 ft on August 9, 1940.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07386880 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.21742, -91.99290 (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	5.93 ft	2026-10-20 18:15	Provisional
Flow	695 cfs	2026-10-20 18:15	Provisional
Water temperature	72 °F	2026-10-20 18:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/10801?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Vermilion River at Surrey St. at Lafayette (usgs:07386880). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/louisiana/vermilion-river-at-surrey-st-at-lafayette

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