Grand River at Grand Rapids water level

Name: Grand River at Grand Rapids 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, Grand River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.81ft Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:00 AM EDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 1,920 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:37 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Grand River at Grand Rapids reads 1.81 ft, a normal level.

It is 16.19 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 02:00 AM. There is still 16.19 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.58 ft and 1.81 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.85 ftApril 21, 2013
Forecast peak: 1.70 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 18.00 ft, still 16.19 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.50 ft: Expect major flooding downtown with high water impacting the Van Andel Museum.
23.00 ft: Expect major flooding of residential areas above and below Downtown Grand Rapids.
21.69 ft: High water impacts the Waste Water Treatment Plant in Grand Rapids.
21.00 ft: Expect moderate to major flooding in the area, Ann Street, and the city dikes. Major flooding of homes and structures occurs upstream in Comstock Park and downstream of Grand Rapids to Robinson Township.
18.00 ft: Expect minor flooding of basements in low lying areas in Grand Rapids. Moderate flooding of homes and structures occurs upstream at Comstock Park and downstream in Robinson Township.
16.50 ft: Expect minor flooding in Grandville.
15.00 ft: Expect minor flooding to occur in low lying areas upstream and downstream of Grand Rapids, especially in the areas of North Park, Comstock Park, and Robinson Township. Some seepage into basements of businesses in Grand Rapids occurs.
14.00 ft: Expect minor flooding to occur in low lying areas upstream and downstream of Grand Rapids, especially in the areas of North Park and Comstock Park.
12.00 ft: River is bankfull upstream and downstream of flood walls in Downtown Grand Rapids. Portions of the Kent Trail and Indian Mounds Drive flooded in Grandville.
1.81 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	21.85 ft	April 21, 2013
2	20.67 ft	February 25, 2018
3	19.64 ft	March 1, 1985
4	19.55 ft	May 22, 2020
5	19.54 ft	May 27, 2004
6	19.50 ft	March 28, 1904
7	19.29 ft	March 8, 1976
8	19.25 ft	April 3, 1960
9	19.25 ft	October 4, 1986
10	18.86 ft	April 8, 2023

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.50 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 53° 32° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 59° 39° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 67° 47° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 48° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 68° 50° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 71° 51° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:01 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Grand River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Grand River at JacksonRiver gauge, Grand River	9.22 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	80 mi
Grand River at LansingRiver gauge, Grand River	2.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	59 mi
Grand River at PortlandRiver gauge, Grand River	5.77 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	39 mi
Grand River at IoniaRiver gauge, Grand River	8.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	31 mi
Grand River at AdaRiver gauge, Grand River	7.29 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	10 mi
Grand River at N Park St Ne at Grand RapidsRiver gauge, Grand River	3.55 ft	No reference yet	+0.06 ft	4.2 mi
Grand River at State Highway M-11 at GrandvilleRiver gauge, Grand River	2,000 cfs	Low	+90.0 cfs	5.6 mi
Grand River near EastmanvilleRiver gauge, Grand River	1,450 cfs	Low	−410.0 cfs	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Plaster Creek at 28th Street at Grand RapidsRiver gauge, Plaster Creek	13.4 cfs	Low	−5.6 cfs	3.7 mi
Buck Creek at Wilson Avenue at GrandvilleRiver gauge, Buck Creek	4.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	6.0 mi
Rogue River near RockfordRiver gauge, Rogue River	3.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Thornapple River near CaledoniaRiver gauge, Thornapple River	3.72 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	14 mi
Pigeon River at 120th Avenue near Olive CenterRiver gauge, Pigeon River	7.0 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	21 mi
Macatawa River at State Road near ZeelandRiver gauge, Macatawa River	24.7 cfs	Normal	−8.4 cfs	21 mi
Flat River at SmyrnaRiver gauge, Flat River	3.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Grand River at Grand Rapids?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 16.19 ft below it.

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 Grand River at Grand Rapids today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:00 AM EDT, the water level was 1.81 ft. Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Grand River at Grand Rapids rising or falling?

Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Grand River at Grand Rapids normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Grand River at Grand Rapids?

The highest level on record is 21.85 ft on April 21, 2013.

Is Grand River at Grand Rapids expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04119000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.96308, -85.67725 (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	1.81 ft	2026-10-19 06:00	Provisional
Flow	1,920 cfs	2026-10-19 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Grand River at Grand Rapids (usgs:04119000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/grand-river-at-grand-rapids

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