Little Fork River at Littlefork water level

Name: Little Fork River at Littlefork 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, Little Fork River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.91ft Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:30 AM CDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 255 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Little Fork River at Littlefork reads 2.91 ft, a normal level.

It is 19.09 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 19.09 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.80 ft and 2.91 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: 37.00 ftApril 18, 1916

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 22.00 ft, still 19.09 ft away.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Several homes threatened on the east bank of the Little Fork at the confluence with the Rainy River. This flooding is due to backwater and is dependant on both the height of the Little Fork and Rainy Rivers.
22.00 ft: Several DNR boat landings and primative campgrounds adjacent to the river are inundated.
2.91 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	37.00 ft	April 18, 1916
2	32.61 ft	April 17, 1969
3	31.63 ft	May 8, 1938
4	31.08 ft	June 14, 1970
5	30.56 ft	April 18, 1948
6	30.33 ft	April 4, 1975
7	30.30 ft	April 19, 1954
8	30.05 ft	April 21, 1972
9	29.21 ft	April 24, 1957
10	28.62 ft	May 2, 1940

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 42° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 55° 33° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 64° 39° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 65° 46° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 66° 44° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 67° 51° 0.17 in, 32% Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 61° 34° 0.15 in, 39% Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 42 min First quarter 51%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rainy River at Boat Landing below International FallsRiver gauge, Rainy River	5,250 cfs	Normal	−160.0 cfs	14 mi
Rainy River at Point Park Site No.1River gauge, Rainy River	337.35 m	Normal	−0.01 m	28 km
Rainy River at Point Park Site No.2River gauge, Rainy River	337.35 m	Normal	−0.01 m	28 km
Big Fork River at Big FallsRiver gauge, Big Fork River	3.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	18 mi
La Vallee River near BurrissRiver gauge, La Vallee River	12.17 m	Very high	±0	33 km
Rainy Lake near Fort FrancesLake, Rainy Lake	337.39 m	Normal	±0	33 km
Rainy River at Manitou RapidsRiver gauge, Rainy River	6,800 cfs	Normal	−50.0 cfs	23 mi
Gold Portage Outlet From Kabetogama Lake near RayRiver gauge, Gold Portage Outlet From Kabetogama Lake	16.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Fork River at Littlefork?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 19.09 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 Little Fork River at Littlefork today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:30 AM CDT, the water level was 2.91 ft. Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Fork River at Littlefork rising or falling?

Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Little Fork River at Littlefork normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Fork River at Littlefork?

The highest level on record is 37.00 ft on April 18, 1916.

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:05131500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.39543, -93.54969 (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	2.91 ft	2026-10-18 15:30	Provisional
Flow	255 cfs	2026-10-18 15:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Fork River at Littlefork (usgs:05131500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/little-fork-river-at-littlefork

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