Minnesota River at Ortonville water level

Name: Minnesota River at Ortonville 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

1.24ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:30 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 8.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Minnesota River at Ortonville reads 1.24 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.76 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.24 ft and 1.26 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: 13.02 ftApril 12, 2023

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 10.00 ft, still 8.76 ft away.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.02 ft	April 12, 2023
2	12.92 ft	April 13, 1952
3	12.85 ft	April 10, 1997
4	12.84 ft	March 20, 2010
5	12.09 ft	April 13, 1969
6	12.06 ft	April 14, 2001
7	11.61 ft	April 25, 1979
8	11.48 ft	March 13, 2007
9	11.32 ft	April 6, 1978
10	11.05 ft	March 22, 2019

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.

17 Sat 67° 34° – Wind 19 mph

18 Sun 71° 44° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 71° 47° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 76° 52° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 76° 55° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 74° 60° 0.33 in Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:37 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on the Minnesota River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Minnesota River near Lac Qui ParleRiver gauge, Minnesota River	72.6 cfs	Low	±0	34 mi
Minnesota River at MontevideoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	43 mi
Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite FallsRiver gauge, Minnesota River	879.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	55 mi
Minnesota River at MortonRiver gauge, Minnesota River	7.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	88 mi
Minnesota River at New UlmRiver gauge, Minnesota River	785.55 ft	Below flood stage	±0	120 mi
Minnesota River at MankatoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	4.90 ft	Below flood stage	+0.44 ft	143 mi
Minnesota River near JordanRiver gauge, Minnesota River	6.18 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	143 mi
Minnesota River at St. Highway 101 in ShakopeeRiver gauge, Minnesota River	16.59 ft	No reference yet	+0.05 ft	146 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whetstone River near Big Stone CityRiver gauge, Whetstone River	1.33 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	3.3 mi
Yellow Bank River near OdessaRiver gauge, Yellow Bank River	142 cfs	Very high	−3.0 cfs	7 mi
Pomme De Terre River at AppletonRiver gauge, Pomme De Terre River	95.4 cfs	Normal	+5.5 cfs	22 mi
Little Minnesota River near PeeverRiver gauge, Little Minnesota River	9.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	30 mi
Chippewa River near MilanRiver gauge, Chippewa River	200 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	34 mi
Mustinka River above WheatonRiver gauge, Mustinka River	76.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	36 mi
Big Sioux River near FlorenceRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	3.03 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	37 mi
Chippewa River (Tw) near WatsonRiver gauge, Chippewa River (Tw)	101 cfs	Normal	±0	37 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Minnesota River at Ortonville?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.76 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 Ortonville today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:30 AM CDT, the water level was 1.24 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Minnesota River at Ortonville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Minnesota River at Ortonville 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 Ortonville?

The highest level on record is 13.02 ft on April 12, 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:05292000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.29552, -96.44422 (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	1.24 ft	2026-10-18 11:30	Provisional
Flow	8.5 cfs	2026-10-18 11:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Minnesota River at Ortonville (usgs:05292000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/minnesota-river-at-ortonville

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