South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester water level

Name: South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester 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, South Fork Zumbro River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.10ft Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 AM CDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 196 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester is at 3.10 ft, in the normal range.

It is 10.90 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It has risen 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 10.90 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 2.80 ft and 3.10 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: 20.77 ftSeptember 21, 1986

Floating and fishing near South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 10.90 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.77 ft	September 21, 1986
2	17.08 ft	September 24, 2010
3	16.68 ft	August 19, 2007
4	16.59 ft	June 28, 2019
5	16.29 ft	July 6, 2019
6	15.98 ft	July 11, 1981
7	15.57 ft	September 16, 2004
8	14.95 ft	September 23, 2016
9	14.93 ft	July 1, 1983
10	13.92 ft	June 10, 2004

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.45 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 42° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 62° 43° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 67° 44° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 71° 48° 0.03 in Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 69° 55° 0.04 in Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 68° 51° 0.04 in Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 66° 48° 0.01 in Wind 23 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 58%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Zumbro River at Zumbro FallsRiver gauge, Zumbro River	5.69 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	16 mi
Root River near Pilot MoundRiver gauge, Root River	8.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	29 mi
Mississippi River at Red WingRiver gauge, Mississippi River	2.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	35 mi
Cannon River at WelchRiver gauge, Cannon River	539 cfs	Normal	−14.0 cfs	37 mi
Root River above RushfordRiver gauge, Root River	10.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	38 mi
Cannon River at 9th St. Bridge in Cannon FallsRiver gauge, Cannon River	526 cfs	Normal	−15.0 cfs	38 mi
Cedar River near AustinRiver gauge, Cedar River	4.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	39 mi
Straight River near FaribaultRiver gauge, Straight River	345 cfs	Normal	−34.0 cfs	40 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 10.90 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 South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 AM CDT, the water level was 3.10 ft. Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester rising or falling?

Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester?

The highest level on record is 20.77 ft on September 21, 1986.

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:05372995 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.06165, -92.46630 (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	3.10 ft	2026-10-19 10:15	Provisional
Flow	196 cfs	2026-10-19 10:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Zumbro River at Rochester (usgs:05372995). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/south-fork-zumbro-river-at-rochester

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