Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison water level

Name: Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

10.17ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

What this means

Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison is far below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 10.17 ft.

That puts it 0.41 ft below the median of 10.58 ft for mid-October, based on 7 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 10.42 ft (−0.25 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 10.04 ft and 10.35 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 10.58 ft0.41 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 10.38 ft – 11.08 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 10.42 ft−0.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 10.04 ft – 10.35 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 10.04 ft – 11.05 ft
Highest on record: 13.64 ftJuly 21, 2002

On the water at Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison

A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.64 ft	July 21, 2002
2	13.03 ft	August 22, 1972

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 58° 34° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 62° 45° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 69° 46° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 72° 51° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 53° 0.00 in Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 71° 52° 0.12 in, 28% Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 52° 38° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 42 min First quarter 64%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mississippi River at AitkinRiver gauge, Mississippi River	2.31 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	17 mi
Mississippi River at BrainerdRiver gauge, Mississippi River	4.46 ft	Below flood stage	+0.17 ft	18 mi
Mississippi River Diversion near AitkinRiver gauge, Mississippi River Diversion	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	21 mi
Rice River at Nature Ave near KimberlyRiver gauge, Rice River	8.00 ft	No reference yet	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Crow Wing River near PillagerRiver gauge, Crow Wing River	580 cfs	Low	±0	27 mi
Mississippi River near RoyaltonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	1,580 cfs	Low	−120.0 cfs	42 mi
Tamarack R. at 480th St near WrightRiver gauge, Tamarack R.	9.50 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	45 mi

Questions and answers

How does Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison compare with last year?

It is 0.25 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 10.42 ft.

What is a normal level for Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 10.58 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 10.38 ft and 11.08 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:15 PM CDT, the water level was 10.17 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison?

The highest level on record is 13.64 ft on July 21, 2002.

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:05284000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.30731, -93.81194 (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	10.17 ft	2026-10-20 01:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison (usgs:05284000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/mille-lacs-lake-near-garrison

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