Minnesota River at Mankato water level

Name: Minnesota River at Mankato 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, Minnesota River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.77ft Up 0.39 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2,830 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Minnesota River at Mankato, where the gauge shows 4.77 ft.

It is 17.23 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.39 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 17.23 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 4.31 ft – 4.77 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: 30.11 ftJune 21, 1993
Lowest on record: 0.30 ftAugust 4, 1934

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 22.00 ft.

What happens at each level

26.60 ft: Flood waters begin to impact Highway 169 in North Mankato.
25.00 ft: Highway 169 between St Peter and Mankato impacted in several locations. Barriers placed on east shoulder US 169 just north of St Peter at Rogers Creek or locally known as Robarts Creek. Hwy 22 bridge south of st peter closed (Spring flood impacts.)
24.50 ft: HWY 99 east of St Peter closed (estimated level for spring floods)
21.00 ft: Dike patrolling begins in Mankato.
4.77 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	30.11 ft	June 21, 1993
2	29.90 ft	April 26, 1881
3	29.76 ft	June 26, 2024
4	29.09 ft	April 10, 1965
5	28.25 ft	September 27, 2010
6	27.61 ft	April 10, 1997
7	27.07 ft	April 12, 1969
8	26.96 ft	April 16, 2001
9	26.50 ft	April 27, 2001
10	26.24 ft	March 22, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.82 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 33° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 66° 44° – Wind 18 mph

19 Mon 66° 42° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 69° 48° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 73° 53° 0.03 in Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 76° 61° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 76° 59° 0.01 in Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Minnesota River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Minnesota River at OrtonvilleRiver gauge, Minnesota River	1.24 ft	Below flood stage	±0	143 mi
Minnesota River near Lac Qui ParleRiver gauge, Minnesota River	72.6 cfs	Low	+2.1 cfs	109 mi
Minnesota River at MontevideoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	100 mi
Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite FallsRiver gauge, Minnesota River	879.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	88 mi
Minnesota River at MortonRiver gauge, Minnesota River	7.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	55 mi
Minnesota River at New UlmRiver gauge, Minnesota River	785.55 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
Minnesota River near JordanRiver gauge, Minnesota River	6.15 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	40 mi
Minnesota River at St. Highway 101 in ShakopeeRiver gauge, Minnesota River	16.55 ft	No reference yet	+0.01 ft	49 mi
Minnesota River at Fort Snelling State ParkRiver gauge, Minnesota River	686.73 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	63 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Blue Earth River near RapidanRiver gauge, Blue Earth River	1,220 cfs	Normal	+330 cfs	4.0 mi
Le Sueur River near RapidanRiver gauge, Le Sueur River	987 cfs	High	+282 cfs	4.3 mi
Watonwan River near Garden CityRiver gauge, Watonwan River	131 cfs	Normal	+25.0 cfs	13 mi
Little Cottonwood River near CourtlandRiver gauge, Little Cottonwood River	15.1 cfs	Normal	+2.4 cfs	17 mi
Cottonwood River near New UlmRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	3.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	23 mi
High Island Creek near HendersonRiver gauge, High Island Creek	60.1 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	28 mi
Straight River near FaribaultRiver gauge, Straight River	383 cfs	Normal	+49.0 cfs	39 mi
Cannon River at Co. Highway 29 below FaribaultRiver gauge, Cannon River	475 cfs	Normal	+93.0 cfs	39 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Minnesota River at Mankato?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 17.23 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 Minnesota River at Mankato today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT, the water level was 4.77 ft. Up 0.39 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Minnesota River at Mankato rising or falling?

Up 0.39 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Minnesota River at Mankato normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Minnesota River at Mankato?

The highest level on record is 30.11 ft on June 21, 1993. The lowest is 0.30 ft on August 4, 1934.

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:05325000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.17003, -94.00231 (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	4.77 ft	2026-10-18 06:30	Provisional
Flow	2,830 cfs	2026-10-18 06:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Minnesota River at Mankato (usgs:05325000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/minnesota-river-at-mankato

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