Big Fork River at Big Falls water level

Name: Big Fork River at Big Falls 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, Big Fork River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.27ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT (26 min ago)

Flow: 248 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Big Fork River at Big Falls reads 3.27 ft, a normal level.

It is 12.73 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.23 ft and 3.27 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: 17.08 ftMay 8, 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 16.00 ft, still 12.73 ft away.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Backwater on the Sturgeon River threatens CR 30 bridge just west of Big Falls.
16.00 ft: Water into the Big Falls city park campground lowest areas.
3.27 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.08 ft	May 8, 1950
2	15.90 ft	April 22, 1979
3	15.79 ft	April 16, 1969
4	15.12 ft	April 26, 1937
5	15.00 ft	April 20, 1982
6	14.53 ft	April 9, 1997
7	14.05 ft	May 7, 1938
8	13.87 ft	April 29, 1951
9	13.51 ft	June 15, 2014
10	13.13 ft	April 29, 1970

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 33° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 62° 42° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 61° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 64° 42° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 66° 48° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 67° 42° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 67° 53° 0.06 in, 31% Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:24 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 43%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Fork River at LittleforkRiver gauge, Little Fork River	2.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Rainy River at Manitou RapidsRiver gauge, Rainy River	6,760 cfs	Normal	−20.0 cfs	31 mi
Rainy River at Boat Landing below International FallsRiver gauge, Rainy River	5,580 cfs	Normal	−130.0 cfs	32 mi
La Vallee River near BurrissRiver gauge, La Vallee River	12.16 m	Very high	+0.01 m	55 km
Rainy River at Point Park Site No.2River gauge, Rainy River	337.36 m	Normal	−0.01 m	57 km
Rainy River at Point Park Site No.1River gauge, Rainy River	337.37 m	Normal	−0.01 m	57 km
Rainy Lake near Fort FrancesLake, Rainy Lake	337.40 m	Normal	±0	62 km
Gold Portage Outlet From Kabetogama Lake near RayRiver gauge, Gold Portage Outlet From Kabetogama Lake	16.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	41 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Big Fork River at Big Falls?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 12.73 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 Big Fork River at Big Falls today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.27 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Fork River at Big Falls rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Fork River at Big Falls normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Fork River at Big Falls?

The highest level on record is 17.08 ft on May 8, 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:05132000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.19634, -93.80803 (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	3.27 ft	2026-10-17 19:00	Provisional
Flow	248 cfs	2026-10-17 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Fork River at Big Falls (usgs:05132000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/big-fork-river-at-big-falls

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