Missouri River near St. James water level

Name: Missouri River near St. James 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, Missouri River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

32.03ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT (36 min 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 Missouri River near St. James, where the gauge shows 32.03 ft.

It is 12.97 ft below the flood stage of 45.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 32.34 ft, a difference of −0.31 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 31.91 ft – 32.42 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

Same day last year: 32.34 ft−0.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 31.91 ft – 32.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 29.79 ft – 35.50 ft
Highest on record: 39.50 ftMarch 15, 2019

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 45.00 ft.

What happens at each level

50.00 ft: Houses along Blue Ribbon Lane downstream of the gauge on the Nebraska side will begin flooding.
48.00 ft: Some cabins in and downstream of Brooky Bottom Park are flooded.
45.00 ft: The boat ramp and parking lot at Brooky Bottom Park begin to flood. Significant flooding of agricultural lands begins on the South Dakota side of the river, and water reaches into some yards on the Nebraska side.
43.00 ft: Minor flooding of agricultural land begins on the South Dakota side of the river.
32.03 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	39.50 ft	March 15, 2019
2	36.61 ft	January 5, 2015
3	35.96 ft	September 12, 2014
4	35.85 ft	December 30, 2025
5	35.62 ft	June 25, 2024
6	34.91 ft	April 1, 2020
7	34.56 ft	January 14, 2017
8	34.43 ft	January 8, 2022
9	34.26 ft	September 3, 2013
10	34.06 ft	January 20, 2016

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.55 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 64° 34° – Wind 19 mph

18 Sun 70° 42° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 67° 41° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 70° 49° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 75° 55° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 79° 58° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 79° 63° 0.07 in Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River below GreenwoodRiver gauge, Missouri River	25.55 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	65 mi
Missouri River below Ponca Creek near VerdelRiver gauge, Missouri River	20.77 ft	Normal	−0.23 ft	51 mi
Missouri River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Missouri River	16.43 ft	Very low	−0.25 ft	46 mi
Missouri River at YanktonRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.15 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	17 mi
Missouri River near MaskellRiver gauge, Missouri River	21.15 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	7 mi
Missouri River at Sioux CityRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.51 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	39 mi
Missouri River at DecaturRiver gauge, Missouri River	19.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	67 mi
Missouri River at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	120 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 92 at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.82 ft	Very low	−0.22 ft	122 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 370 at BellevueRiver gauge, Missouri River	15.37 ft	Very low	−0.23 ft	128 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bow Creek near WynotRiver gauge, Bow Creek	2.20 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	4.6 mi
James River near YanktonRiver gauge, James River	3.45 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	22 mi
Big Sioux River at AkronRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	5.76 ft	Below flood stage	+0.15 ft	27 mi
Big Sioux River near JeffersonRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	9.46 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	30 mi
Big Sioux River at Sioux CityRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	9.98 ft	Very low	+0.10 ft	35 mi
Logan Creek at WakefieldRiver gauge, Logan Creek	7.00 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	35 mi
Big Sioux River near HawardenRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	12.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	36 mi
Perry Creek near MillnervilleRiver gauge, Perry Creek	0.98 ft	Below flood stage	±0	36 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Missouri River near St. James higher than last year?

No, it is 0.31 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 32.34 ft.

What is flood stage for the Missouri River near St. James?

The official flood stage is 45.00 ft. The level is currently 12.97 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 Missouri River near St. James today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT, the water level was 32.03 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River near St. James rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Missouri River near St. James normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Missouri River near St. James?

The highest level on record is 39.50 ft on March 15, 2019.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06478523 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.76111, -97.08194 (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	32.03 ft	2026-10-18 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River near St. James (usgs:06478523). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/missouri-river-near-st-james

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