South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir water level

Name: South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir 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, South Fork Shoshone River, Wyoming, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.73ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:00 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 96.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir reads 4.73 ft, a normal level.

It is 4.77 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.73 ft and 5.02 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: 9.28 ftJune 30, 2011

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 9.50 ft, still 4.77 ft away.

What happens at each level

10.50 ft: Low lying property 3-4 miles upstream of gage will be inundated. Water along low spots near downstream bridge along lower South Fork Road. (Park County Road 6QS).
9.50 ft: Flood stage. Minor flooding intensifies and becomes more widespread with low lying property 3-4 miles upstream of gage.
9.41 ft: Record stage and flow---9,960 cfs (6/8/1981).
9.00 ft: Water continiues to encroach low lying property 3-4 miles upstream of gage. Debris jams/ice jams that go against South Fork Bridge and foot bridge may cause high water immediately downstream of gage.
8.50 ft: Bankfull stage. Water begins to encroach low lying property 3-4 miles upstream of gage. Ice jamming in early winter and in early spring is common.
4.73 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	9.28 ft	June 30, 2011
2	9.24 ft	June 9, 2017
3	8.61 ft	May 31, 2003
4	8.50 ft	June 12, 1991
5	8.44 ft	May 30, 2014
6	8.39 ft	June 7, 2010
7	8.36 ft	June 10, 1997
8	8.28 ft	June 15, 1995
9	8.28 ft	June 10, 2015
10	8.25 ft	June 6, 2012

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:24 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill ReservoirReservoir	5,393.34 ft	High		2.8 mi
Buffalo Bill ReservoirReservoir	5,358.25 ft	Normal		7 mi
North Fork Shoshone River at WapitiRiver gauge, North Fork Shoshone River	3.18 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Clarks Fork Yellowstone River near Belfry MTRiver gauge, Clarks Fork Yellowstone River	0.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	42 mi
Shoshone River near LovellRiver gauge, Shoshone River	5.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	50 mi
Soda Butte Cr at Park Bndry at Silver GateRiver gauge, Soda Butte Cr	8.3 cfs	Low	±0	54 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 4.77 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 South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:00 PM MDT, the water level was 4.73 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.26 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir?

The highest level on record is 9.28 ft on June 30, 2011.

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:06281000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.41908, -109.25798 (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	4.73 ft	2026-10-21 02:00	Provisional
Flow	96.4 cfs	2026-10-21 02:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

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

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/13540?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill Reservoir (usgs:06281000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wyoming/south-fork-shoshone-river-above-buffalo-bill-reservoir

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