Red River of The North at Oslo water level

Name: Red River of The North at Oslo 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, Red River of The North, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.35ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT (6 hours ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Red River of The North at Oslo, where the gauge shows 7.35 ft.

That puts it 1.45 ft below the median of 8.80 ft for mid-October, based on 23 years of readings. It is 18.65 ft below the flood stage of 26.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 6.75 ft (+0.60 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.96 ft – 10.54 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 8.80 ft1.45 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.52 ft – 20.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (23 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.75 ft+0.60 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.96 ft – 10.54 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.13 ft – 26.04 ft
Highest on record: 38.37 ftApril 1, 2009

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 26.00 ft.

What happens at each level

42.20 ft: Top of the permanent levee upstream of Highway 1.
41.20 ft: Top of the permanent levee downstream of Highway 1.
41.00 ft: City of Oslo Evacuation Action Plan initiated.
37.50 ft: State Highway 1 overtops (MN DOT).
37.00 ft: Water affects the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks west of Oslo.
36.50 ft: ND State Highway 54 has water over the road.
36.00 ft: MAJOR FLOOD.
35.79 ft: Top of the Walsh County agricultural dikes in Walshville Township.
35.00 ft: North of Oslo Highway 220 and 317 typically overtop.
30.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD. Levee and floodwall patrols begin.
26.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD.
23.00 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE. Pump operations begin.
7.35 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.37 ft	April 1, 2009
2	38.09 ft	April 14, 2011
3	38.01 ft	April 10, 2020
4	38.00 ft	April 23, 1997
5	37.91 ft	April 12, 1978
6	37.87 ft	March 21, 2010
7	37.80 ft	April 13, 2019
8	37.70 ft	April 6, 2006
9	37.47 ft	April 27, 2022
10	37.00 ft	April 16, 2001

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 43° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 59° 33° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 67° 44° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 63° 49° – Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 70° 45° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 71° 61° 0.21 in, 36% Wind 18 mph

24 Sat 63° 38° 0.83 in, 36% Wind 28 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:56 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 10 hr, 36 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on the Red River of The North

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North at WahpetonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	4.04 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	136 mi
Red River of The North at EnloeRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.41 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	119 mi
Red River of The North at HicksonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	10.25 ft	Low	+0.05 ft	107 mi
Red River of The North near Wild RiceRiver gauge, Red River of The North	22.97 ft	No reference yet	+0.07 ft	102 mi
Red River of The North at FargoRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.07 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	94 mi
Red River of The North near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.10 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	78 mi
Red River of The North at HalstadRiver gauge, Red River of The North	3.81 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	60 mi
Red River of The North near ThompsonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	17.10 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	31 mi
Red River of The North at Grand ForksRiver gauge, Red River of The North	16.48 ft	High	−0.03 ft	19 mi
Red River of The North at DraytonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	12.81 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	26 mi
Red River of The North at PembinaRiver gauge, Red River of The North	12.69 ft	Normal	+0.07 ft	54 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Forest River at MintoRiver gauge, Forest River	1.52 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	12 mi
Middle River at ArgyleRiver gauge, Middle River	8.6 cfs	Normal	−0.9 cfs	18 mi
Snake River above WarrenRiver gauge, Snake River	62.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.58 ft	19 mi
Park River at GraftonRiver gauge, Park River	7.21 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Turtle River at Turtle R State Park near ArvillaRiver gauge, Turtle River	1.05 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	25 mi
Forest River near FordvilleRiver gauge, Forest River	1.69 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	27 mi
Red Lake River at FisherRiver gauge, Red Lake River	1,450 cfs	High	−60.0 cfs	31 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Red River of The North at Oslo compare with last year?

It is 0.60 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.75 ft.

What is flood stage for the Red River of The North at Oslo?

The official flood stage is 26.00 ft. The level is currently 18.65 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Red River of The North at Oslo in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 8.80 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.52 ft and 20.35 ft, based on 23 years of records.

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 Red River of The North at Oslo today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT, the water level was 7.35 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Red River of The North at Oslo rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.28 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Red River of The North at Oslo normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05083500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.19389, -97.14028 (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	7.35 ft	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red River of The North at Oslo (usgs:05083500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/red-river-of-the-north-at-oslo

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