Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding water level

Name: Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding 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, Middle Branch Ontonagon River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.24ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 105 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding reads 4.24 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.76 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.24 ft and 4.56 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 10.90 ftApril 16, 2023

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 12.00 ft, still 7.76 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Water is flowing over the bridge on Forest Highway 5250
12.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the bridge on Forest Highway 5250 and backwater effects begin to occur. The bridge may be unsafe to cross at higher river levels
11.00 ft: Water begins to impact low lying areas near the bridge on Interior Road...also known as Forest Highway 5250
4.24 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.90 ft	April 16, 2023
2	10.60 ft	April 17, 2002
3	10.41 ft	April 24, 2019
4	10.07 ft	April 25, 1960
5	10.00 ft	April 30, 1951
6	9.57 ft	May 1, 2013
7	9.53 ft	April 26, 2022
8	9.42 ft	July 2, 1953
9	9.31 ft	May 13, 2003
10	9.31 ft	April 30, 2020

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:20 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 63%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lac Vieux Desert near Land O'lakesLake, Lac Vieux Desert	80.36 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Cisco Lake near WatersmeetLake, Cisco Lake	4.15 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Cisco Branch Ontonagon River at Cisco Lake OutletRiver gauge, Cisco Branch Ontonagon River	0.5 cfs	Very low	−0.1 cfs	19 mi
Ontonagon River near RocklandRiver gauge, Ontonagon River	5.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	26 mi
West Branch Ontonagon River near BerglandRiver gauge, West Branch Ontonagon River	1.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	27 mi
Lake Gogebic near BerglandLake, Lake Gogebic	1.54 ft	Very low	−0.08 ft	28 mi
Anvil Lake near Eagle RiverLake, Anvil Lake	90.73 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	28 mi
Sturgeon River near SidnawRiver gauge, Sturgeon River	3.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 7.76 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 Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 PM CDT, the water level was 4.24 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding?

The highest level on record is 10.90 ft on April 16, 2023.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04033000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.35689, -89.07653 (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	4.24 ft	2026-10-19 22:45	Provisional
Flow	105 cfs	2026-10-19 22:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding (usgs:04033000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/middle-branch-ontonagon-river-near-paulding

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