Root River near Pilot Mound water level

Name: Root River near Pilot Mound 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, Root River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

8.68ft Up 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 537 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Root River near Pilot Mound, where the gauge shows 8.68 ft.

It is 10.32 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.19 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 10.32 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 8.49 ft – 8.68 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: 25.90 ftJune 1, 2000

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 19.00 ft.

What happens at each level

30.50 ft: Low steel of Highway 21 bridge
8.68 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.90 ft	June 1, 2000
2	23.85 ft	September 16, 2004
3	22.01 ft	May 21, 2013
4	21.40 ft	September 23, 2016
5	20.29 ft	June 13, 2008
6	19.42 ft	August 19, 2007
7	19.40 ft	July 3, 2026
8	19.40 ft	September 25, 2010

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.73 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

16 Fri 51° 40° 0.06 in, 70% Wind 22 mph

17 Sat 52° 35° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 61° 37° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 64° 42° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 64° 43° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 66° 48° 0.04 in Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 72° 55° 0.02 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the Root River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Root River above RushfordRiver gauge, Root River	9.86 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	11 mi
Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, Root River	3.99 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	23 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, South Fork Root River	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	24 mi
Upper Iowa River at BlufftonRiver gauge, Upper Iowa River	3.81 ft	Below flood stage	+0.10 ft	27 mi
Mississippi River at WinonaRiver gauge, Mississippi River	5.73 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	27 mi
South Fork Zumbro River at RochesterRiver gauge, South Fork Zumbro River	2.99 ft	Below flood stage	+0.19 ft	29 mi
Trempealeau River at DodgeRiver gauge, Trempealeau River	6.09 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	34 mi
Waterloo Creek near DorchesterRiver gauge, Waterloo Creek	7.21 ft	Below flood stage	±0	35 mi
Upper Iowa River at DecorahRiver gauge, Upper Iowa River	2.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	35 mi
Crooked Creek at FreeburgRiver gauge, Crooked Creek	6.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Root River near Pilot Mound?

The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The level is currently 10.32 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 Root River near Pilot Mound today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 8.68 ft. Up 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Root River near Pilot Mound rising or falling?

Up 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Root River near Pilot Mound normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Root River near Pilot Mound?

The highest level on record is 25.90 ft on June 1, 2000.

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:05383950 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.78278, -92.03163 (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	8.68 ft	2026-10-17 20:00	Provisional
Flow	537 cfs	2026-10-17 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Root River near Pilot Mound (usgs:05383950). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/root-river-near-pilot-mound

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