Saginaw River at Midland Street at Bay City water level

Name: Saginaw River at Midland Street at Bay City 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, Saginaw River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

579.49ft

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT (5 days ago)

Flow: 630 cfs

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

At 579.49 ft, the Saginaw River at Midland Street at Bay City is far below normal for mid-October.

Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 64° 38° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 64° 39° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 64° 46° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 66° 46° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 70° 47° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 71° 52° – Wind 15 mph

26 Mon 66° 50° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:58 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Saginaw River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Saginaw River at Holland Avenue at SaginawRiver gauge, Saginaw River	170 cfs	Very low	−2,200.0 cfs	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Swan Creek at Frost Road near FrostRiver gauge, Swan Creek	2.8 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	15 mi
Tittabawassee River at MidlandRiver gauge, Tittabawassee River	9.77 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	17 mi
Cass River at FrankenmuthRiver gauge, Cass River	3.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Flint River near FostersRiver gauge, Flint River	129 cfs	Low	−1.0 cfs	21 mi
Chippewa River at S Homer Road near MidlandRiver gauge, Chippewa River	14.16 ft	Highest on record	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Pine River near MidlandRiver gauge, Pine River	2.41 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	24 mi
Tittabawassee River at SanfordRiver gauge, Tittabawassee River	315 cfs	Low	−57.0 cfs	25 mi
Shiawassee River near FergusRiver gauge, Shiawassee River	132 cfs	Normal	−17.0 cfs	26 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 Saginaw River at Midland Street at Bay City today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT, the water level was 579.49 ft.

Is the level of Saginaw River at Midland Street at Bay City normal?

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

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:04157060 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.60194, -83.89222 (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	579.49 ft	2026-10-16 15:00	Provisional
Flow	630 cfs	2026-10-21 01:42	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Saginaw River at Midland Street at Bay City (usgs:04157060). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/saginaw-river-at-midland-street-at-bay-city

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