Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville water level

Name: Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville 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, Elm Fk Trinity River, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.11ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:15 PM CDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 2.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 1.11 ft, the Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.37 ft below the median of 1.48 ft for mid-October, based on 38 years of readings. It is 20.89 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.17 ft (−0.06 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.01 ft and 3.55 ft.

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

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.48 ft0.37 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.02 ft – 2.41 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.17 ft−0.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.01 ft – 3.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.99 ft – 4.35 ft
Highest on record: 28.10 ftOctober 1, 1981

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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 22.00 ft, still 20.89 ft away.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft: Extreme flooding will occur along the river and in the park and zoo.
25.00 ft: Major flooding will occur along the river and in the park and zoo.
23.00 ft: Moderate flooding will occur along the river.
22.00 ft: Minor out of bank flooding will occur.
1.11 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	28.10 ft	October 1, 1981
2	28.01 ft	June 18, 2007
3	25.33 ft	May 16, 1989
4	24.47 ft	May 8, 2015
5	22.80 ft	May 2, 1990
6	22.72 ft	May 9, 1993
7	22.69 ft	February 20, 1997
8	22.29 ft	June 18, 2015
9	22.15 ft	May 20, 2015
10	22.02 ft	June 30, 2007

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.26 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 67° 42° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 74° 46° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 75° 56° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 78° 57° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 81° 62° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 82° 64° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 81° 62° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Elm Fk Trinity River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elm Fk Trinity River at FM 1198 near MyraRiver gauge, Elm Fk Trinity River	16.07 ft	Very high	+12.91 ft	10 mi
Elm Fk Trinity River at Greenbelt near Pilot PointRiver gauge, Elm Fk Trinity River	7.6 cfs	Low	±0	20 mi
Elm Fk Trinity River near LewisvilleRiver gauge, Elm Fk Trinity River	5.88 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	42 mi
Elm Fk Trinity River near CarrolltonRiver gauge, Elm Fk Trinity River	3.61 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	47 mi
Elm Fk Trinity River at Spur 348, IrvingRiver gauge, Elm Fk Trinity River	11.85 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	54 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River near GainesvilleRiver gauge, Red River	16.35 ft	Below flood stage	+10.10 ft	7 mi
Moss Lake near GainesvilleLake, Moss Lake	714.67 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Timber Creek near CollinsvilleRiver gauge, Timber Creek	2.66 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	13 mi
Ray Roberts Lake near Pilot PointLake, Ray Roberts Lake	630.84 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Clear Creek near SangerRiver gauge, Clear Creek	6.28 ft	Normal	+0.27 ft	20 mi
Range Creek near CollinsvilleRiver gauge, Range Creek	2.21 ft	Very low	±0	21 mi
Little Elm Creek near AubreyRiver gauge, Little Elm Creek	2.71 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	28 mi
Denton Creek at CR 2513 near DecaturRiver gauge, Denton Creek	53.7 cfs	Normal	+3.5 cfs	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville compare with last year?

It is 0.06 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.17 ft.

What is flood stage for the Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 20.89 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.48 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.02 ft and 2.41 ft, based on 38 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 Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:15 PM CDT, the water level was 1.11 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 38 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:08050400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.62427, -97.15640 (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	1.11 ft	2026-10-19 02:15	Provisional
Flow	2.4 cfs	2026-10-19 02:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elm Fk Trinity River at Gainesville (usgs:08050400). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/elm-fk-trinity-river-at-gainesville

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