Canada
United States
Belgium
France
Ireland
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Austria
Czechia
Germany
Poland
Slovenia
Switzerland
Italy
Spain
Türkiye
Denmark
Finland
Norway
SwedenCannon River at Northfield water level
River gauge, Cannon River, Minnesota, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 494 cfs
History
Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Cannon River at Northfield, where the gauge shows 890.50 ft.
It is 6.50 ft below the flood stage of 897.00 ft.
It is on the way up, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 6.50 ft of room before flood stage.
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
- 901.52 ftJune 23, 2024
- Lowest on record
- 889.41 ftSeptember 5, 2023
Paddling and fishing conditions
Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.
For reference, flood stage is 897.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 903.00 ft
- Hwy 3 floods north of 5th Street.
- 902.00 ft
- Hwy 19 Bridge over Spring Creek on Carleton campus floods.
- 901.50 ft
- Water reaches bottom of deck on 2nd Street bridge.
- 901.00 ft
- Lower windows breached on buildings on west side of river (Froggy's, Law offices).
- 900.50 ft
- Northfield Fire building threatened by flood waters; parking lot flooded, water reaches building.
- 900.00 ft
- A few properties on east side of river, above the dam, flood near downtown Northfield.
- 899.50 ft
- Water reaches top of wall on east side of town near dam, as well as west side downstream of dam below Froggy's.
- 899.00 ft
- Laird Stadium at Carleton College begins to flood; west gymnasium threatened.
- 897.50 ft
- Flood waters reach Carleton College soccer fields. Babcock Park north of downtown begins to flood.
- 897.00 ft
- Water backs up into businesses along river in downtown Northfield. Riverwalk on west side of town begins to flood.
- 890.50 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 | 901.52 ft | June 23, 2024 |
| 2 | 901.50 ft | September 24, 2010 |
| 3 | 901.30 ft | September 24, 2016 |
| 4 | 899.70 ft | June 20, 2014 |
| 5 | 899.45 ft | July 13, 2013 |
| 6 | 899.10 ft | March 22, 2019 |
| 7 | 898.13 ft | October 6, 2019 |
| 8 | 898.04 ft | May 15, 2023 |
| 9 | 896.77 ft | April 3, 2023 |
| 10 | 896.30 ft | September 6, 2018 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Cannon River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon River at Co. Highway 29 below FaribaultRiver gauge, Cannon River | 475 cfs | Normal | +93.0 cfs | 8 mi |
| Cannon River at 9th St. Bridge in Cannon FallsRiver gauge, Cannon River | 541 cfs | Normal | +109 cfs | 13 mi |
| Cannon River at WelchRiver gauge, Cannon River | 551 cfs | Normal | +115 cfs | 22 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight River near FaribaultRiver gauge, Straight River | 383 cfs | Normal | +42.0 cfs | 14 mi |
| Vermillion River near EmpireRiver gauge, Vermillion River | 28.0 cfs | Low | −4.6 cfs | 15 mi |
| Mississippi River below L&d 2 at HastingsRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 6,840 cfs | Normal | +90.0 cfs | 25 mi |
| Mississippi River at PrescottRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 9,250 cfs | Normal | −1,450.0 cfs | 27 mi |
| St. Croix River at PrescottRiver gauge, St. Croix River | 2,410 cfs | Very low | −1,530.0 cfs | 27 mi |
| Minnesota River near JordanRiver gauge, Minnesota River | 6.15 ft | Below flood stage | +0.02 ft | 29 mi |
| Mississippi River at Red WingRiver gauge, Mississippi River | 2.59 ft | Below flood stage | +0.14 ft | 31 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Cannon River at Northfield?
The official flood stage is 897.00 ft. The level is currently 6.50 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 Cannon River at Northfield today?
On Oct 16, 2026, 10:30 AM CDT, the water level was 890.50 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Cannon River at Northfield rising or falling?
Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Cannon River at Northfield normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cannon River at Northfield?
The highest level on record is 901.52 ft on June 23, 2024. The lowest is 889.41 ft on September 5, 2023.
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:05355024(Agency page)- Coordinates
44.45858, -93.15967(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 | 890.50 ft | 2026-10-16 15:30 | Provisional |
| Flow | 494 cfs | 2026-10-18 07:30 | 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: Cannon River at Northfield (usgs:05355024). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/cannon-river-at-northfield
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