Minnesota River Levels & Streamflow
As of Sep 19, 2026, Minnesota rivers are running at 50% of normal across 87 USGS gauges — the highest is 11,500 cfs on the Mississippi River At Winona. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Minnesota.
Streamflow levels across Minnesota are currently 50% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Winona reporting the highest discharge in the state at 11,500 cfs and a gauge stage of 5.57 ft.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota River Near Lac Qui Parle is seeing a spike today — up 196% since yesterday and currently running near peak.
Tap any gauge below for the full hydrograph, paired weather forecast, and historical context. Use the rivers panel to jump into Minnesota's named rivers.
Active weather warnings for Minnesota
Minnesota is experiencing significant flooding across southeastern counties following 4-8 inches of overnight rainfall. Multiple flood warnings remain active for the Cedar River near Lansing and Austin in Mower County, with moderate to record-approaching water levels expected through Sunday evening. Numerous roads in northern and southern Fillmore and Mower counties are closed, affecting communities including Preston, Spring Valley, Chatfield, Rushford, Lanesboro, and Lansing. The Root River near Houston in Houston County is also forecast to reach minor flood stage through Monday. Additionally, dense fog with quarter-mile visibility impacts southwestern Minnesota counties through 10 AM, and dangerous Lake Superior swimming conditions with life-threatening waves and rip currents are expected along Minnesota Park Point through this evening. Residents should avoid flooded roadways and water hazards.
State-wide streamflow overview
The Minnesota flow picture in four data points -- where the state sits versus historical norms, what's flowing hardest, and what's spiking fastest.
Percent of normal
100% is the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought; above 130% can flag elevated flood risk.
Highest discharge
Gauge stage 5.57 ft
Biggest 24h spike
Now 302 cfs
Network coverage
USGS gauges feeding 0 named rivers in Minnesota.
Where every gauge actually sits
One dot per Minnesota streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The state average is a single line through all of it.
Percent of normal compares today's discharge with the historical average for this calendar day. Tap any dot to open that gauge.
Minnesota streamflow, three water years
Statewide percent of normal, every day since Sep 2023. The dotted line is normal.
799 daily readings from 87 reporting gauges. Percent of normal is today's statewide discharge against the historical average for the same calendar day — 100% is normal, not "good". The axis tops out at 200%: 11 readings above that — including the 211% peak in Aug 2025 — are drawn along the top edge, so a few flood days cannot flatten three years of everything else. The line breaks in 2 places where the record skips more than five days — those are gaps in reporting, not readings of zero.
Minnesota USGS streamgauges
Every USGS gauge Snoflo tracks in Minnesota. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any gauge for its full hydrograph and forecast.
| Streamgage | Streamflow | Gage height | Water temp | Air temp | Elevation | Watershed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mississippi River At Winona, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05378500 |
12,800 cfs | 5.88 ft | · | 56°F | 644 ft | Buffalo-Whitewater |
|
Mississippi River At Red Wing, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05355250 |
10,500 cfs | 2.74 ft | · | 58°F | 669 ft | Rush-Vermillion |
|
Mississippi River At St. Paul, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05331000 |
8,230 cfs | 3.39 ft | · | 58°F | 695 ft | Twin Cities |
|
Mississippi River Below L&D #2 At Hastings, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05331580 |
6,640 cfs | 7.19 ft | · | 58°F | · | Twin Cities |
|
Root River Near Pilot Mound, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05383950 |
4,160 cfs | 13.18 ft | · | 58°F | 855 ft | Root |
|
South Fork Root River Near Houston, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05385500 |
3,100 cfs | 10.23 ft | · | 57°F | 692 ft | Root |
|
Mississippi River Near Anoka, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05288500 |
2,690 cfs | 1.63 ft | · | 57°F | 817 ft | Twin Cities |
|
Mississippi River At Anoka, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05283500 |
2,610 cfs | 4.25 ft | · | 57°F | 827 ft | Twin Cities |
|
Root River Near Houston, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05385000 |
2,380 cfs | 6.32 ft | · | 56°F | 670 ft | Root |
|
Mississippi River At St. Cloud, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05270700 |
2,200 cfs | 4.23 ft | · | 56°F | 954 ft | Clearwater-Elk |
|
Mississippi River Near Royalton, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05267000 |
1,730 cfs | 8.48 ft | · | 55°F | 1,017 ft | Platte-Spunk |
|
Minnesota River At Mankato, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05325000 |
1,660 cfs | 3.76 ft | · | 59°F | 759 ft | Middle Minnesota |
|
Minnesota River Near Jordan, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05330000 |
1,620 cfs | 5.13 ft | · | 58°F | 715 ft | Lower Minnesota |
|
Cedar River Near Austin, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05457000 |
1,060 cfs | 5.24 ft | 69°F | 61°F | 1,163 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Cannon River At Welch, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05355200 |
1,010 cfs | 4.82 ft | · | 58°F | 741 ft | Cannon |
|
Mississippi River At Brainerd, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05242300 |
710 cfs | 4.65 ft | · | 57°F | 1,167 ft | Elk-Nokasippi |
|
Mississippi River At Aitkin, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05227500 |
698 cfs | 2.22 ft | · | 53°F | 1,206 ft | Elk-Nokasippi |
|
Crow Wing River Near Pillager, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05247500 |
686 cfs | 3.67 ft | · | 56°F | 1,161 ft | Crow Wing |
|
Red Lake River At Crookston, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05079000 |
682 cfs | 5.30 ft | · | 55°F | 851 ft | Red Lake |
|
Red Lake River At Fisher, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05080000 |
662 cfs | 11.37 ft | · | 57°F | 812 ft | Red Lake |
|
St. Louis River At Scanlon, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 04024000 |
649 cfs | 2.82 ft | 63°F | 51°F | 1,109 ft | St. Louis |
|
Le Sueur River Near Rapidan, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05320500 |
619 cfs | 7.04 ft | · | 60°F | 776 ft | Le Sueur |
|
Thief River Near Thief River Falls, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05076000 |
551 cfs | 6.97 ft | · | 51°F | 1,129 ft | Thief |
|
Minnesota River At New Ulm, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05316770 |
507 cfs | 785.39 ft | · | 59°F | 794 ft | Middle Minnesota |
|
Blue Earth River Near Rapidan, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05320000 |
471 cfs | 8.20 ft | · | 59°F | 807 ft | Blue Earth |
|
Gold Portage Outlet From Kabetogama Lk Nr Ray, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05129290 |
429 cfs | 17.02 ft | · | 48°F | 1,132 ft | Rainy Lake |
|
Minnesota River At Morton, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05316580 |
421 cfs | 7.89 ft | · | 57°F | 824 ft | Middle Minnesota |
|
Straight River Near Faribault, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05353800 |
406 cfs | 4.90 ft | · | 58°F | 1,069 ft | Cannon |
|
Minnesota River At Montevideo, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05311000 |
366 cfs | 2.95 ft | · | 56°F | 928 ft | Hawk-Yellow Medicine |
|
Otter Tail River Near Elizabeth, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05030500 |
328 cfs | 5.73 ft | · | 59°F | 1,272 ft | Otter Tail |
|
Mississippi River At Grand Rapids, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05211000 |
326 cfs | 3.17 ft | · | 53°F | 1,246 ft | Prairie-Willow |
|
Otter Tail River Bl Orwell D Nr Fergus Falls, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05046000 |
306 cfs | 2.57 ft | · | 58°F | 1,032 ft | Otter Tail |
|
Little Fork River At Littlefork, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05131500 |
304 cfs | 3.01 ft | · | 48°F | 1,083 ft | Little Fork |
|
Minnesota River Near Lac Qui Parle, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05301000 |
263 cfs | 21.60 ft | · | 57°F | 923 ft | Lac Qui Parle |
|
Basswood River Near Winton, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05127500 |
230 cfs | 2.33 ft | · | 47°F | 1,299 ft | Rainy Headwaters |
|
South Fork Zumbro River At Rochester, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05372995 |
221 cfs | 3.21 ft | · | 57°F | 951 ft | Zumbro |
|
Crow River At Rockford, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05280000 |
215 cfs | 2.42 ft | · | 57°F | 932 ft | Crow |
|
Rum River Near St. Francis, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05286000 |
191 cfs | 2.35 ft | · | 57°F | 866 ft | Rum |
|
Crow Wing River At Nimrod, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05244000 |
175 cfs | 2.50 ft | · | 56°F | 1,326 ft | Crow Wing |
|
Chippewa River Near Milan, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05304500 |
173 cfs | 1.35 ft | · | 57°F | 975 ft | Chippewa |
|
South Kawishiwi R Abv White Iron Lake Nr Ely, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05126210 |
129 cfs | 3.50 ft | · | 46°F | 1,391 ft | Rainy Headwaters |
|
Big Fork River At Big Falls, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05132000 |
114 cfs | 2.94 ft | · | 47°F | 1,182 ft | Big Fork |
|
Chippewa River Near Watson, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05305000 |
101 cfs | 36.92 ft | · | 56°F | 941 ft | Chippewa |
|
South Kawishiwi River Near Ely, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05125000 |
98 cfs | 2.02 ft | · | 46°F | 1,427 ft | Rainy Headwaters |
|
Snake River Near Pine City, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05338500 |
97 cfs | 2.82 ft | · | 54°F | 922 ft | Snake |
|
Kettle River Below Sandstone, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05336700 |
94 cfs | 3.90 ft | · | 54°F | 936 ft | Kettle |
|
Red Lake River At High Landing Nr Goodridge, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05075000 |
93 cfs | 1.75 ft | · | 51°F | 1,151 ft | Red Lake |
|
Rapid River Near Baudette, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05134200 |
88 cfs | 2.80 ft | · | 49°F | 1,116 ft | Rapid |
|
Clearwater River At Red Lake Falls, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05078500 |
87 cfs | 5.34 ft | · | 54°F | 955 ft | Clearwater |
|
Vermilion River Nr Crane Lake, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05129115 |
82 cfs | 4.31 ft | · | 44°F | 1,183 ft | Vermilion |
|
Mississippi River Near Bemidji, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05200510 |
79 cfs | 2.82 ft | · | 55°F | 1,318 ft | Mississippi Headwaters |
|
Pigeon River At Middle Falls Nr Grand Portage Mn, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 04010500 |
74 cfs | 2.26 ft | · | 44°F | 807 ft | Baptism-Brule |
|
Pomme De Terre River At Appleton, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05294000 |
66 cfs | 4.21 ft | · | 58°F | 984 ft | Pomme De Terre |
|
Watonwan River Near Garden City, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05319500 |
63 cfs | · | · | 59°F | 931 ft | Watonwan |
|
Clearwater River At Plummer, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05078000 |
56 cfs | 2.87 ft | · | 54°F | 1,105 ft | Clearwater |
|
Sauk River Near St. Cloud, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05270500 |
56 cfs | 1.09 ft | · | 56°F | 1,024 ft | Sauk |
|
Yellow Medicine River Near Granite Falls, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05313500 |
55 cfs | 2.81 ft | · | 58°F | 986 ft | Hawk-Yellow Medicine |
|
Prairie River Near Taconite, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05212700 |
54 cfs | 2.16 ft | · | 52°F | 1,332 ft | Prairie-Willow |
|
Long Prairie River At Long Prairie, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05245100 |
50 cfs | 1.52 ft | · | 55°F | 1,297 ft | Long Prairie |
|
Cottonwood River Near New Ulm, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05317000 |
48 cfs | 3.35 ft | · | 59°F | 800 ft | Cottonwood |
|
Des Moines River At Jackson, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05476000 |
46 cfs | 7.09 ft | · | 65°F | 1,315 ft | Upper Des Moines |
|
Vermillion River Near Empire, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05345000 |
46 cfs | 2.30 ft | · | 57°F | 863 ft | Rush-Vermillion |
|
Roseau River Below State Ditch 51 Nr Caribou, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05112000 |
45 cfs | 2.07 ft | · | 53°F | 1,008 ft | Roseau |
|
High Island Creek Near Henderson, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05327000 |
45 cfs | 3.88 ft | · | 58°F | 731 ft | Lower Minnesota |
|
Roseau River At Ross, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05107500 |
44 cfs | 2.18 ft | · | 55°F | 1,031 ft | Roseau |
|
Redwood River Near Redwood Falls, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05316500 |
42 cfs | 1.80 ft | · | 57°F | 988 ft | Redwood |
|
Straight River Near Park Rapids, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05243725 |
40 cfs | 1.11 ft | · | 57°F | 1,411 ft | Crow Wing |
|
Yellow Bank River Near Odessa, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05293000 |
40 cfs | 2.79 ft | · | 58°F | 955 ft | Upper Minnesota |
|
Red Lake River Near Red Lake, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05074500 |
34 cfs | 68.52 ft | · | 53°F | 1,175 ft | Red Lake |
|
Wild Rice River At Twin Valley, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05062500 |
33 cfs | 1.74 ft | · | 56°F | 1,016 ft | Eastern Wild Rice |
|
Sand Hill River At Climax, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05069000 |
29 cfs | 4.27 ft | · | 57°F | 829 ft | Sandhill-Wilson |
|
Buffalo River Near Dilworth, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05062000 |
28 cfs | 2.89 ft | · | 59°F | 892 ft | Buffalo |
|
Kawishiwi River Near Ely, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05124480 |
25 cfs | 2.62 ft | 62°F | 46°F | 1,427 ft | Rainy Headwaters |
|
Elk River Near Big Lake, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05275000 |
22 cfs | · | · | 57°F | 932 ft | Clearwater-Elk |
|
Wild Rice River At Hendrum, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05064000 |
21 cfs | 2.95 ft | · | 60°F | 851 ft | Eastern Wild Rice |
|
Shingle Creek At Queen Ave In Minneapolis, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05288705 |
17 cfs | 9.59 ft | 63°F | 57°F | 905 ft | Twin Cities |
|
Minnesota River At Ortonville, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05292000 |
15 cfs | 1.37 ft | · | 57°F | 972 ft | Upper Minnesota |
|
Buffalo River Near Hawley, Mn
13 hours ago · USGS 05061000 |
15 cfs | 3.17 ft | · | 60°F | 1,121 ft | Buffalo |
|
Redwood River Near Marshall, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05315000 |
13 cfs | 6.76 ft | · | 61°F | 1,199 ft | Redwood |
|
Sprague Creek Near Sprague, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05106000 |
10 cfs | 2.73 ft | · | 52°F | 1,050 ft | Roseau |
|
Knife River Near Two Harbors, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 04015330 |
10 cfs | 25.83 ft | 38°F | 53°F | 620 ft | Beaver-Lester |
|
Elm Creek Nr Champlin, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05287890 |
9 cfs | 3.67 ft | · | 57°F | 870 ft | Twin Cities |
|
Little Cottonwood River Near Courtland, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05317200 |
7 cfs | 2.81 ft | · | 59°F | 810 ft | Middle Minnesota |
|
Middle River At Argyle, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05087500 |
5 cfs | 3.19 ft | · | 51°F | 839 ft | Snake |
|
Bois De Sioux River Near Doran, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05051300 |
4 cfs | 5.82 ft | · | 58°F | 957 ft | Bois De Sioux |
|
South Branch Two Rivers At Lake Bronson, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05094000 |
1 cfs | 3.02 ft | · | 51°F | 955 ft | Two Rivers |
|
Marsh River Near Shelly, Mn
14 hours ago · USGS 05067500 |
0 cfs | 3.42 ft | · | 59°F | 848 ft | Elm-Marsh |
See every Minnesota gauge ranked against normal.
- Percentile rank & % of median for all 87 gauges
- 15-day PULSE forecast on every gauge
- Custom flow alerts & full daily history
Minnesota river runs
Paddleable river sections in Minnesota keyed to USGS gauges, with live streamflow and whitewater class.
| River run | Status | Streamflow | Air temp | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Saint Louis | Runnable | 6,710 cfs | 40°F | II+ TO IV |
See when every Minnesota run is runnable.
- Runnable-window alerts on every river run
- 15-day PULSE flow forecast per run
- Full whitewater class & gauge history
About Minnesota streamflow
What are river levels like in Minnesota right now?
As of September 19, 2026, Minnesota rivers are running at 50% of normal across 87 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Winona is reporting the highest discharge at 11,500 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.
Which Minnesota river is running highest right now?
As of September 19, 2026, the highest discharge in Minnesota is 11,500 cfs on the Mississippi River At Winona. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.
Are Minnesota rivers high or low right now?
Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means Minnesota rivers are running higher than the seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower (a dry spell or drought). Each gauge also shows its own percent of median.
Where does the Minnesota streamflow data come from?
The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. USGS streamgauges report continuously (every 15 minutes) and the data is the canonical real-time record for U.S. rivers. Snoflo pulls the latest readings and joins them to a 7-day NOAA weather forecast for each station.
What is cfs?
Cubic feet per second — the standard unit for streamflow. One cfs is about 7.5 gallons per second. Small creeks run at single-digit cfs; the Mississippi at hundreds of thousands.
What does Gauge Height mean?
The water level at the gauge in feet above the reference datum. Used together with discharge to track river state. Flood stage and runnable levels are typically expressed in gauge height (e.g., "flood at 16 ft").
How fresh is the Minnesota data?
USGS streamgauges report every 15 minutes; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The AI briefing regenerates daily.
Can I get a flow alert for a Minnesota gauge?
Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a discharge or stage threshold (e.g. "alert me when discharge crosses 2,000 cfs"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses.
Is this a substitute for an NWS flood warning?
No. Snoflo is informational. For flood life-safety decisions always follow guidance from your local NWS forecast office and state emergency management. Snoflo data is one input among several.
Streamflow in every state
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