Manistee River near Grayling water level

Name: Manistee River near Grayling 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, Manistee River, Michigan, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

1.02ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 220 cfs
Water temperature: 49 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Manistee River near Grayling shows 1.02 ft, above normal for mid-October.

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.02 ft and 1.16 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 49 °F.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 3.17 ftApril 14, 2026

What the stage means on the water

Fast, high water is not the time for casual paddling. Strainers, debris and cold water make an unplanned swim dangerous.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	3.17 ft	April 14, 2026
2	1.78 ft	October 25, 2020
3	1.44 ft	April 6, 2023
4	1.38 ft	April 7, 2022

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 08:00 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 10 hr, 49 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Manistee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Manistee River near ShermanRiver gauge, Manistee River	12.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	46 mi
Manistee River near MesickRiver gauge, Manistee River	1,280 cfs	High	+10.0 cfs	53 mi
Manistee River near WellstonRiver gauge, Manistee River	1,880 cfs	High	+50.0 cfs	62 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Otsego Lake near GaylordLake, Otsego Lake	3.68 ft	Very high	−0.05 ft	18 mi
South Branch Au Sable River near LuzerneRiver gauge, South Branch Au Sable River	223 cfs	Normal	+5.0 cfs	20 mi
Houghton Lake near Houghton Lake HeightsLake, Houghton Lake	8.07 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	20 mi
Higgins Lake near RoscommonLake, Higgins Lake	5.32 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	20 mi
Nb Au Sable River at Kelloggs Branch near LovellsRiver gauge, Nb Au Sable River	229 cfs	Very high	−8.0 cfs	21 mi
Au Sable River near Red OakRiver gauge, Au Sable River	3.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	27 mi
Boardman River above Brown Bridge Road near MayfieldRiver gauge, Boardman River	3.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	29 mi
Lake St Helen at St HelenLake, Lake St Helen	6.34 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	30 mi

Questions and answers

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 Manistee River near Grayling today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT, the water level was 1.02 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Manistee River near Grayling rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Manistee River near Grayling normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Manistee River near Grayling?

The highest level on record is 3.17 ft on April 14, 2026.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04123500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.69305, -84.84714 (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	1.02 ft	2026-10-19 02:00	Provisional
Flow	220 cfs	2026-10-19 02:00	Provisional
Water temperature	49 °F	2026-10-19 02:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Manistee River near Grayling (usgs:04123500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/manistee-river-near-grayling

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