Little Blue River near Lake City water level

Name: Little Blue River near Lake City 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, Little Blue River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.67ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 AM CDT (44 min ago)

Flow: 53.6 cfs
Water temperature: 57 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Little Blue River near Lake City reads 4.67 ft, a normal level.

It is 13.33 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.67 ft and 5.49 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 57 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 27.94 ftSeptember 14, 1961

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 18.00 ft, still 13.33 ft away.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft: State Highway 78 west of Lake City floods.
18.00 ft: Low-lying areas adjacent to the river begin to flood.
4.67 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: 23 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	27.94 ft	September 14, 1961
2	27.06 ft	August 13, 1982
3	26.10 ft	July 11, 1951
4	26.10 ft	September 23, 1970
5	26.09 ft	May 18, 1974
6	25.43 ft	June 13, 1966
7	25.05 ft	October 13, 1969
8	25.03 ft	July 20, 1965
9	24.97 ft	June 28, 1969
10	24.97 ft	May 20, 1948

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.34 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 65° 39° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 67° 42° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 73° 46° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 75° 53° 0.02 in Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 78° 55° 0.02 in Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 76° 58° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 79° 59° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 66%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring Branch Creek at Holke Rd in IndependenceRiver gauge, Spring Branch Creek	1.0 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	2.3 mi
Adair Creek at IndependenceRiver gauge, Adair Creek	0.6 cfs	Normal	+0.4 cfs	5.5 mi
Little Blue R. at Lees Summit Rd in IndependenceRiver gauge, Little Blue R.	4.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	7 mi
Blue River at 12th Street in Kansas CityRiver gauge, Blue River	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	10 mi
Blue River at Stadium Drive in Kansas CityRiver gauge, Blue River	5.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	12 mi
Missouri River at NapoleonRiver gauge, Missouri River	9.81 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	13 mi
Missouri River at Kansas CityRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	15 mi
Fishing River above MosbyRiver gauge, Fishing River	14.4 cfs	High	−1.1 cfs	16 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Blue River near Lake City?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 13.33 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 Little Blue River near Lake City today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 AM CDT, the water level was 4.67 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Blue River near Lake City rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Little Blue River near Lake City normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Blue River near Lake City?

The highest level on record is 27.94 ft on September 14, 1961.

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:06894000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.10056, -94.30050 (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	4.67 ft	2026-10-20 05:30	Provisional
Flow	53.6 cfs	2026-10-20 05:30	Provisional
Water temperature	57 °F	2026-10-20 05:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Blue River near Lake City (usgs:06894000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/little-blue-river-near-lake-city

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