Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage water level

Name: Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage 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, Pigeon River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.09ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:00 AM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 54.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage is running far below normal at 2.09 ft.

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.09 ft and 2.22 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 13.67 ftMay 13, 2022

Floating and fishing near Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

What happens at each level

13.67 ft: Record crest from Spring 2022 which brought widespread flooding to the North Shore. However the record crest on the Pigeon River did not cause damage. Bring poncho or rain coat if viewing the falls.
11.35 ft: No flooding occurs.
8.50 ft: Bankfull stage. No impacts known.
2.09 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.67 ft	May 13, 2022
2	12.37 ft	September 24, 1977
3	11.53 ft	September 9, 1977
4	11.48 ft	October 19, 2007
5	11.30 ft	May 11, 1979
6	10.76 ft	April 18, 1976
7	10.71 ft	May 18, 1996
8	10.48 ft	May 10, 2023
9	10.41 ft	April 24, 2001
10	10.40 ft	November 29, 2016

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 36 min First quarter 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whitefish River at NolaluRiver gauge, Whitefish River	0.51 m	Low	±0	34 km
Washington Creek at WindigoRiver gauge, Washington Creek	1.9 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	23 mi
Slate River near Thunder BayRiver gauge, Slate River	25.56 m	Normal	−0.01 m	38 km
Whitefish River near StanleyRiver gauge, Whitefish River	4.04 m	Low	−0.01 m	39 km
Kaministiquia River at West Fort WilliamRiver gauge, Kaministiquia River	183.13 m	Normal	+0.01 m	42 km
Corbett Creek near MurilloRiver gauge, Corbett Creek	5.81 m	Normal	−0.01 m	47 km
Neebing River near Thunder BayRiver gauge, Neebing River	184.40 m	Normal	±0	47 km
Neebing River near IntolaRiver gauge, Neebing River	27.16 m	Very low	±0	52 km

Questions and answers

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 Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:00 AM CDT, the water level was 2.09 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage?

The highest level on record is 13.67 ft on May 13, 2022.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04010500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.01222, -89.61620 (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	2.09 ft	2026-10-20 13:00	Provisional
Flow	54.3 cfs	2026-10-20 13:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Pigeon River at Middle Falls near Grand Portage (usgs:04010500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/pigeon-river-at-middle-falls-near-grand-portage

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