St. Joseph River at Mottville water level

Name: St. Joseph River at Mottville 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, St. Joseph River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.93ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT (48 min ago)

Flow: 1,110 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at St. Joseph River at Mottville reads 2.93 ft, a normal level.

It is 5.07 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.80 ft and 3.44 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: 10.76 ftApril 27, 1950

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 8.00 ft, still 5.07 ft away.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: A major flood is in progress. Expect extensive inundation and damage. Many primary roads and bridges will be closed and many people evacuated.
9.00 ft: Moderate flooding of businesses and residences will occur in the village of Constantine.
8.00 ft: Minor flooding of farmland and secondary roads will occur in low lying areas adjacent to the river.
6.00 ft: Minor flooding of lowland adjacent to the river can be expected.
2.93 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	10.76 ft	April 27, 1950
2	10.41 ft	June 4, 1989
3	10.17 ft	February 24, 2018
4	9.81 ft	March 21, 1982
5	9.57 ft	February 28, 1985
6	8.62 ft	May 20, 2020
7	8.59 ft	January 12, 2008
8	8.58 ft	March 13, 2009
9	8.28 ft	March 8, 1976
10	8.00 ft	February 1, 1969

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.05 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 61° 36° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 64° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 41° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 67° 45° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 69° 49° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 71° 51° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 71° 50° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:00 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the St. Joseph River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. Joseph River at BurlingtonRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	3.40 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	41 mi
St. Joseph River at Three RiversRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	3.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	12 mi
St. Joseph River at ElkhartRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	19.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	14 mi
St. Joseph River at South BendRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	0.68 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	27 mi
St. Joseph River at BertrandRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	9.14 ft	No reference yet	−0.07 ft	26 mi
St. Joseph River at NilesRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	5.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	26 mi
St. Joseph River near Fort WayneRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	2.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	56 mi
St. Joseph River at Parnell Av at Fort WayneRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	7.18 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	58 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mill Creek at Quaker Street near MottvilleRiver gauge, Mill Creek	15.6 cfs	Very low	±0	2.2 mi
Pigeon River near ScottRiver gauge, Pigeon River	3.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	10 mi
Elkhart River at GoshenRiver gauge, Elkhart River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	15 mi
Spring Creek at Rambadt Road near CentrevilleRiver gauge, Spring Creek	4.3 cfs	Very low	−0.4 cfs	17 mi
Dowagiac Creek at Dutch Settlement Road near Dowagiac,River gauge, Dowagiac Creek	35.1 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	18 mi
Prairie River near NottawaRiver gauge, Prairie River	71.6 cfs	Normal	−3.4 cfs	19 mi
Osborn Drain at Dewey Lake St near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Osborn Drain	11.6 cfs	Normal	+0.2 cfs	24 mi
Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near DowagiacRiver gauge, Dowagiac River	88.6 cfs	Normal	−4.9 cfs	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the St. Joseph River at Mottville?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 5.07 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 St. Joseph River at Mottville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT, the water level was 2.93 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is St. Joseph River at Mottville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of St. Joseph River at Mottville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at St. Joseph River at Mottville?

The highest level on record is 10.76 ft on April 27, 1950.

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:04099000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.80088, -85.75610 (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	2.93 ft	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional
Flow	1,110 cfs	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: St. Joseph River at Mottville (usgs:04099000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/st-joseph-river-at-mottville

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