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Mississippi River at Brainerd water level

River gauge, Mississippi River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.27ft Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
466 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 17.61 ft Minor floodstage 16.00 ft

History

4.24.44.6ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 244.24.44.6ftOct 16Oct 20Oct 24
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.60 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 09:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Mississippi River at Brainerd, where the gauge shows 4.27 ft.

It is 11.73 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.25 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.60 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM. The 30-day range is 4.19 ft – 4.52 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record
17.61 ftJune 28, 2012
Forecast peak
4.60 ftSunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 16.00 ft.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft
Community Garden indated near Kiwanis Park.
16.00 ft
East River Road near Kiwanis park becomes inundated.
13.00 ft
This will cause flooding of low lying agricultural areas ajacent to the river.
4.27 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
117.61 ftJune 28, 2012
216.70 ftApril 30, 2001
316.03 ftApril 10, 1997
415.61 ftApril 26, 2023
514.59 ftApril 30, 1996
614.52 ftMay 18, 1999
714.39 ftMay 18, 2022
814.10 ftMay 15, 2014
914.01 ftApril 11, 2020
1013.81 ftJuly 17, 2016

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 45%

Map

Other gauges on the Mississippi River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Mississippi River near BemidjiRiver gauge, Mississippi River 205 cfs Normal −3.0 cfs 81 mi
Mississippi River at Willow Beach at Ball ClubRiver gauge, Mississippi River 318 cfs Low +3.0 cfs 65 mi
Mississippi River at Days High Landing near Deer RiverRiver gauge, Mississippi River 73.14 ft No reference yet +0.01 ft 63 mi
Mississippi River at Grand RapidsRiver gauge, Mississippi River 426 cfs Low +54.0 cfs 67 mi
Mississippi River at AitkinRiver gauge, Mississippi River 2.26 ft Below flood stage ±0 25 mi
Mississippi River near RoyaltonRiver gauge, Mississippi River 1,700 cfs Low ±0 39 mi
Mississippi River at St. CloudRiver gauge, Mississippi River 4.07 ft Below flood stage −0.07 ft 57 mi
Mississippi River at Us Highway 169 at ChamplinRiver gauge, Mississippi River 4.31 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 90 mi
Mississippi River at Highway 610 in Brooklyn ParkRiver gauge, Mississippi River 1.66 ft Below flood stage −0.05 ft 96 mi
Mississippi River above 37th Ave. Ne in FridleyRiver gauge, Mississippi River 88.74 ft No reference yet +0.04 ft 102 mi
Mississippi River at St. PaulRiver gauge, Mississippi River 3.01 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 112 mi
Mississippi River below L&d 2 at HastingsRiver gauge, Mississippi River 1,770 cfs Very low −5,400.0 cfs 130 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Crow Wing River near PillagerRiver gauge, Crow Wing River 580 cfs Very low −31.0 cfs 11 mi
Mille Lacs Lake near GarrisonLake, Mille Lacs Lake 10.12 ft Low −0.03 ft 18 mi
Mississippi River Diversion near AitkinRiver gauge, Mississippi River Diversion 0.0 cfs Low ±0 28 mi
Rice River at Nature Ave near KimberlyRiver gauge, Rice River 7.99 ft No reference yet −0.01 ft 36 mi
Crow Wing River at NimrodRiver gauge, Crow Wing River 222 cfs Low −5.0 cfs 38 mi
Long Prairie River at Long PrairieRiver gauge, Long Prairie River 1.47 ft Below flood stage ±0 43 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Mississippi River at Brainerd?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 11.73 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 Mississippi River at Brainerd today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 07:30 PM CDT, the water level was 4.27 ft. Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mississippi River at Brainerd rising or falling?

Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mississippi River at Brainerd normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mississippi River at Brainerd?

The highest level on record is 17.61 ft on June 28, 2012.

Is Mississippi River at Brainerd expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.60 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05242300 (Agency page)
Coordinates
46.37769, -94.18265 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 4.27 ft 2026-10-18 00:30 Provisional
Flow 466 cfs 2026-10-18 00:30 Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mississippi River at Brainerd (usgs:05242300). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/mississippi-river-at-brainerd

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