Nivelmap
EN

Platte River at Louisville water level

River gauge, Platte River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.33ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
4,870 cfs
Water temperature
52 °F
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 13.82 ft Minor floodstage 9.00 ft

History

History
345ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19345ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
2468ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage2468ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
358ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage358ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
358ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026358ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Platte River at Louisville reads 3.33 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.66 ft, based on 18 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.33 ft below typical. It is 5.67 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.50 ft, a difference of −0.17 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.12 ft and 7.33 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 52 °F.

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.66 ft0.33 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.38 ft – 4.37 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year
3.50 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.12 ft – 7.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.30 ft – 7.33 ft
Highest on record
13.82 ftMarch 16, 2019

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 9.00 ft, still 5.67 ft away.

What happens at each level

17.50 ft
Though unlikely to occur, water reaches the bottom of the Highway 50 bridge at this level.
13.00 ft
Highway 50 just north of the river begins to flood.
12.00 ft
Highway 31, north of the river, between Riha Road and Highway 50 begins to flood.
11.00 ft
The Meadow levee on the north bank of the Highway 50 bridge may overtop. This along with increasing lowland flooding may begin to impact structures near the river.
9.00 ft
The bike path at Highway 50 along the river begins to flood. Also, lowland flooding starts along both of the banks.
3.33 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: 16 %.

RankLevelDate
113.82 ftMarch 16, 2019
212.45 ftMarch 30, 1960
311.90 ftJuly 25, 1993
411.47 ftMarch 10, 1993
511.35 ftJune 14, 1984
610.83 ftMarch 20, 1978
710.48 ftMay 31, 2008
810.35 ftJune 17, 1957
910.33 ftJune 14, 2010
109.99 ftFebruary 22, 1982

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 66° 42° – Wind 17 mph
19 Mon 66° 42° – Wind 12 mph
20 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 14 mph
21 Wed 74° 55° – Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 76° 58° – Wind 8 mph
23 Fri 74° 60° 0.17 in Wind 19 mph
24 Sat 69° 53° 0.59 in, 30% Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Platte River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Platte River near KearneyRiver gauge, Platte River 2.40 ft Normal −0.16 ft 155 mi
Platte River near Grand IslandRiver gauge, Platte River 3.56 ft Normal +0.15 ft 111 mi
Platte River near DuncanRiver gauge, Platte River 3.46 ft Normal −0.05 ft 74 mi
Platte River near SchuylerRiver gauge, Platte River 6.48 ft High +0.21 ft 54 mi
Platte River at North BendRiver gauge, Platte River 3.72 ft Normal +0.03 ft 44 mi
Platte River near FremontRiver gauge, Platte River 6.79 ft Normal −0.38 ft 32 mi
Platte River near LesharaRiver gauge, Platte River 4.13 ft Normal −0.21 ft 25 mi
Platte River near VeniceRiver gauge, Platte River 11.54 ft Normal −0.12 ft 16 mi
Platte River near AshlandRiver gauge, Platte River 14.76 ft Normal −0.08 ft 9 mi
Platte River at La PlatteRiver gauge, Platte River 10.39 ft Below flood stage +0.14 ft 12 mi
Platte River near AgencyRiver gauge, Platte River 7.51 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 119 mi
Platte River at Sharps StationRiver gauge, Platte River 5.18 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 135 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 9.54 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 3.5 mi
Springfield Creek at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Springfield Creek 5.46 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 5.0 mi
Salt Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, Salt Creek 6.92 ft Normal −0.13 ft 10 mi
Wahoo Creek at AshlandRiver gauge, Wahoo Creek 5.19 ft Normal −0.07 ft 11 mi
South Papillion Creek near GretnaRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek 5.44 ft Normal −0.02 ft 11 mi
West Papillion Creek at PapillionRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek 10.73 ft Very high −0.07 ft 11 mi
South Papillion Creek at ChalcoRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek 16.12 ft Normal −0.02 ft 11 mi
West Papillion Creek at MillardRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek 9.81 ft Very high −0.08 ft 13 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Platte River at Louisville higher than last year?

No, it is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.50 ft.

What is flood stage for the Platte River at Louisville?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 5.67 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Platte River at Louisville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.66 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.38 ft and 4.37 ft, based on 18 years of records.

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 Platte River at Louisville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:15 AM CDT, the water level was 3.33 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Platte River at Louisville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Platte River at Louisville normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06805500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.01498, -96.15750 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 3.33 ft 2026-10-19 12:15 Provisional
Flow 4,870 cfs 2026-10-19 12:15 Provisional
Water temperature 52 °F 2026-10-19 12:15 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Platte River at Louisville (usgs:06805500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/platte-river-at-louisville

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.