White River at Spencer water level

Name: White River at Spencer 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, White River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.28ft Up 0.45 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1,400 cfs

History

7 days

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.80 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 01:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:51 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The White River at Spencer is at 3.28 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.31 ft, based on 37 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.03 ft below typical. It is 10.72 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It has risen 0.45 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.80 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 01:00 PM. There is still 10.72 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 2.75 ft and 3.55 ft.

Compared with 37 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.31 ft0.03 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.20 ft – 67.14 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (37 years of records)
Highest on record: 28.50 ftMarch 26, 1913
Forecast peak: 3.80 ftSaturday, October 17 at 01:00 PM

Floating and fishing near White River at Spencer

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 10.72 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

29.50 ft: Record flood is in progress. Flood waters approaching courthouse from the south as south side of Spencer floods. Much of Prospect Park near SR 46 and U.S. 231 is completely underwater. A devastating flood on the river side of railroad tracks.
29.10 ft: Spencer Wastewater Treatment Plant begins to flood. It may be the only dry spot in Spencer proper except for the hills.
28.50 ft: Water is at record flood level. In the newer areas of southeast Spencer, flood waters surround apartments, the Senior Citizens Center, and nursing home. Flood waters two feet deep in Fairground Building. Possible first floor flooding on south side of Spencer.
28.00 ft: City Maintenance Garage floods by several feet. Evacuations are necessary in Southport area. Residential area near gravel pit just downstream completely floods. Extensive rural flooding just north of Freedom is in progress.
26.00 ft: Buildings in the Owen County Fairgrounds begin to flood. Flood waters begin to enter Spencer proper. A few homes at the intersection of CR 25 E and CR 75 S impacted or will soon be impacted by high water immediately south of Spencer.
25.50 ft: City Maintenance Garage begins to flood.
24.60 ft: North South road located on east side of Owen Valley Middle and High Schools begins to flood.
24.30 ft: Prospect Park on west side of Spencer extensively floods. Streets that partially flood on the south side include E Cooper and Clay Streets, and S West, Montgomery Street, Main, Washington, Harrison, and East Streets. Sandbagging is necessary on the south side of Spencer.
24.00 ft: A major flood is in progress. As many as 150 people may be forced to evacuate from the western outskirts of Spencer.
23.00 ft: Flooding affects all homes in Prospect Park area in western Spencer. Evacuations are necessary. Flood water affects southern Spencer and across the river in Southport area. Fairgrounds parking lot and arena flood.
22.50 ft: East side of Cooper Street on south side of Spencer begins to flood.
22.30 ft: County road south of river gage begins to flood.
3.28 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: 33 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	28.50 ft	March 26, 1913
2	26.84 ft	June 8, 2008
3	25.08 ft	January 7, 2005
4	24.41 ft	April 7, 2025
5	23.95 ft	January 1, 1991
6	23.82 ft	November 16, 1993
7	23.33 ft	April 23, 1964
8	23.30 ft	September 4, 2003
9	23.22 ft	May 6, 2017
10	23.20 ft	May 15, 1933

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.73 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 40° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 62° 36° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 70° 43° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 70° 46° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 72° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 74° 48° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 73° 49° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:59 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the White River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
White River at RavenswoodRiver gauge, White River	2.79 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	54 mi
White River at Broad RippleRiver gauge, White River	3.09 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	53 mi
White River below Dam at Broad RippleRiver gauge, White River	1.56 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	53 mi
White River at Indianapolis Museum of ArtRiver gauge, White River	3.63 ft	Below flood stage	+0.14 ft	49 mi
White River at 16th Street at IndianapolisRiver gauge, White River	6.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	46 mi
White River at Michigan Street at IndianapolisRiver gauge, White River	7.14 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	46 mi
White River at IndianapolisRiver gauge, White River	2.99 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	45 mi
White River at Stout Gen. Stn. at IndianapolisRiver gauge, White River	1.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	42 mi
White River at Southport Road at IndianapolisRiver gauge, White River	4.90 ft	No reference yet	−0.12 ft	39 mi
White River near CentertonRiver gauge, White River	1.24 ft	Normal	−0.49 ft	24 mi
White River at NewberryRiver gauge, White River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	+0.18 ft	28 mi
White River near EdwardsportRiver gauge, White River	4.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	42 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mill Creek near CataractRiver gauge, Mill Creek	5.25 ft	Below flood stage	−1.18 ft	11 mi
Eel River at Bowling GreenRiver gauge, Eel River	2.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	16 mi
Cagles Mill Lake near ManhattanLake, Cagles Mill Lake	639.16 ft	Below flood stage	+0.15 ft	16 mi
Mill Creek near ManhattanRiver gauge, Mill Creek	8.09 ft	Below flood stage	±0	17 mi
Big Walnut Creek near ReelsvilleRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	0.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	21 mi
Monroe Lake near HarrodsburgLake, Monroe Lake	537.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Salt Creek near HarrodsburgRiver gauge, Salt Creek	6.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.68 ft	23 mi
Bee Hunter Ditch at LintonRiver gauge, Bee Hunter Ditch	0.3 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the White River at Spencer?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 10.72 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the White River at Spencer in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.31 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.20 ft and 67.14 ft, based on 37 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 White River at Spencer today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 3.28 ft. Up 0.45 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is White River at Spencer rising or falling?

Up 0.45 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of White River at Spencer normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 37 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at White River at Spencer?

The highest level on record is 28.50 ft on March 26, 1913.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03357000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.28115, -86.76221 (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	3.28 ft	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional
Flow	1,400 cfs	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: White River at Spencer (usgs:03357000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/white-river-at-spencer

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