South Dakota River Levels & Streamflow
As of Nov 4, 2026, South Dakota rivers are running at 156% of normal across 92 USGS gauges — the highest is 1,340 cfs on the White R Near Oacoma Sd. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in South Dakota.
South Dakota river map
See South Dakota’s rivers on a live map
Every gauge, river and reservoir, one tap each:
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South Dakota river conditions today
Where rivers are running versus normal, what’s spiking and what’s coming — refreshed daily from USGS and NOAA.
Streamflow levels across South Dakota are currently 156% of normal, with the White R Near Oacoma Sd reporting the highest discharge in the state at 1,340 cfs and a gauge stage of 9.85 ft.
Meanwhile, the Black Pipe Creek Nr Belvidere is seeing a spike today — up 13456% 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 South Dakota's named rivers.
How South Dakota’s rivers compare to normal
Every gauge placed by its own percent of normal, and three years of the statewide trend.
Where every gauge actually sits
One dot per South Dakota 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.
South Dakota streamflow, three water years
Statewide percent of normal, every day since Oct 2023. The dotted line is normal.
799 daily readings from 85 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 250%: 100 readings above that — including the 469% peak in Dec 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.
South Dakota flow report
| Streamgage | Streamflow | Gage height | Water temp | Air temp | Elevation | Watershed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
White R Near Oacoma Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06452000 |
1,340 cfs | 9.85 ft | · | 49°F | 1,394 ft | Lower White |
|
White R Near Kadoka Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06447000 |
903 cfs | 6.10 ft | · | 38°F | 2,131 ft | Middle White |
|
James R At Huron Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06476000 |
843 cfs | 9.93 ft | · | 47°F | 1,233 ft | Middle James |
|
Big Sioux R At North Cliff Ave At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06482020 |
707 cfs | 6.53 ft | · | 54°F | 1,303 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
James R Near Scotland Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06478500 |
613 cfs | 5.24 ft | · | 49°F | 1,187 ft | Lower James |
|
James River Nr Yankton Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06478513 |
589 cfs | 4.17 ft | · | 49°F | 1,164 ft | Lower James |
|
Black Pipe Creek Nr Belvidere, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06447230 |
427 cfs | 5.20 ft | · | 39°F | 2,055 ft | Middle White |
|
James R Near Mitchell Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06478000 |
401 cfs | 11.40 ft | · | 48°F | 1,206 ft | Lower James |
|
James R Near Forestburg Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06477000 |
337 cfs | 5.69 ft | · | 47°F | 1,214 ft | Lower James |
|
James R Near Redfield Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06475000 |
332 cfs | 4.89 ft | · | 50°F | 1,264 ft | Middle James |
|
Big Sioux R Near Castlewood Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479525 |
329 cfs | 7.08 ft | · | 46°F | 1,682 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
|
Big Sioux River Near Brookings Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06480000 |
328 cfs | 3.26 ft | · | 52°F | 1,562 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Big Sioux R At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06482000 |
317 cfs | 2.39 ft | · | 50°F | 1,395 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Bad R Near Fort Pierre Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06441500 |
298 cfs | 3.36 ft | · | 44°F | 1,437 ft | Bad |
|
James River At Nd-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06470878 |
293 cfs | 88.22 ft | 32°F | 48°F | 1,290 ft | Upper James |
|
Big Sioux R Near Dell Rapids Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06481000 |
279 cfs | 3.94 ft | · | 53°F | 1,464 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Little White R Below White River Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06450500 |
246 cfs | 2.38 ft | · | 45°F | 1,927 ft | Little White |
|
James R At Ashton Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06473000 |
227 cfs | 4.84 ft | · | 50°F | 1,271 ft | Middle James |
|
James R Near Stratford Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06472000 |
226 cfs | 7.76 ft | · | 50°F | 1,276 ft | Upper James |
|
Redwater River Above Belle Fourche Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06433000 |
222 cfs | 3.36 ft | · | 33°F | 3,018 ft | Redwater |
|
Skunk Cr At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06481500 |
183 cfs | 4.01 ft | · | 50°F | 1,411 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Inlet Canal Above Belle Fourche Reservoir Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06434505 |
182 cfs | 5.09 ft | · | 35°F | 2,985 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Little White R Near Rosebud Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06449500 |
177 cfs | 4.56 ft | · | 40°F | 2,305 ft | Little White |
|
Cheyenne R Near Plainview Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06438500 |
173 cfs | 8.32 ft | 60°F | 38°F | 1,865 ft | Lower Cheyenne |
|
Big Sioux River Near Bruce, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479770 |
170 cfs | 3.77 ft | · | 47°F | 1,630 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
|
James R At Columbia Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06471000 |
157 cfs | 6.40 ft | · | 49°F | 1,287 ft | Upper James |
|
Vermillion River Nr Vermillion Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479010 |
124 cfs | 2.60 ft | · | 50°F | 1,137 ft | Vermillion |
|
White River Near White River, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06447450 |
120 cfs | 3.86 ft | · | 43°F | 1,775 ft | Middle White |
|
Keya Paha R At Wewela Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06464500 |
91 cfs | 2.52 ft | · | 41°F | 2,053 ft | Keya Paha |
|
Cheyenne R Near Buffalo Gap Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06402600 |
89 cfs | 2.53 ft | · | 38°F | 2,820 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Cheyenne River Near Wasta, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06423500 |
87 cfs | · | · | 39°F | 2,269 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Elk |
|
Cheyenne River At Redshirt, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06403700 |
85 cfs | 9.82 ft | 50°F | 38°F | 2,670 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Whetstone River Near Big Stone City, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 05291000 |
75 cfs | 2.28 ft | · | 47°F | 1,017 ft | Upper Minnesota |
|
Little White R Near Vetal Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06449100 |
74 cfs | 3.57 ft | 42°F | 39°F | 2,789 ft | Little White |
|
Big Sioux R Near Watertown Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479438 |
64 cfs | 4.76 ft | · | 45°F | 1,742 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
|
Grand R At Little Eagle Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06357800 |
64 cfs | 2.71 ft | · | 42°F | 1,640 ft | Grand |
|
Split Rock Cr At Corson Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06482610 |
57 cfs | 2.21 ft | · | 54°F | 1,307 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
White R Near Interior Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06446500 |
53 cfs | 3.81 ft | · | 38°F | 2,300 ft | Middle White |
|
Little Minnesota River Near Peever, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 05290000 |
47 cfs | 10.45 ft | · | 45°F | 1,015 ft | Upper Minnesota |
|
Keya Paha R Near Keyapaha Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06464100 |
45 cfs | 4.83 ft | · | 40°F | 2,220 ft | Keya Paha |
|
Rapid Cr Near Farmingdale Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06421500 |
45 cfs | 5.76 ft | · | 37°F | 2,711 ft | Rapid |
|
Spearfish Cr At Spearfish Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06431500 |
43 cfs | 4.90 ft | · | 32°F | 3,669 ft | Redwater |
|
Redwater Cr At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06430500 |
40 cfs | 3.08 ft | · | 30°F | 3,424 ft | Redwater |
|
Rapid Cr Above Pactola Res At Silver City, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06410500 |
35 cfs | 4.76 ft | · | 29°F | 4,628 ft | Rapid |
|
Big Sioux R At Watertown Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479500 |
35 cfs | 3.86 ft | · | 45°F | 1,717 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
|
Rapid Cr At Rapid City Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06414000 |
34 cfs | 3.34 ft | · | 38°F | 3,246 ft | Rapid |
|
Belle Fourche River Near Elm Springs, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06438000 |
32 cfs | 3.97 ft | · | 38°F | 2,180 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Belle Fourche R Near Sturgis Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06437000 |
28 cfs | 2.63 ft | · | 37°F | 2,546 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Fall R At Hot Springs Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06402000 |
27 cfs | · | · | 37°F | 3,430 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Whitewood Cr Above Whitewood, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06436180 |
21 cfs | · | · | 35°F | 3,681 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Little White R Near Martin Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06447500 |
21 cfs | 1.08 ft | · | 38°F | 3,069 ft | Little White |
|
Elm R At Westport Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06471500 |
20 cfs | 4.42 ft | · | 49°F | 1,323 ft | Elm |
|
Belle Fourche R At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06428500 |
18 cfs | 3.48 ft | · | 32°F | 3,103 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Bear In The Lodge Cr Near Wanblee Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06446700 |
17 cfs | 1.87 ft | · | 38°F | 2,526 ft | Middle White |
|
Rapid Cr Below Pactola Dam Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06411500 |
17 cfs | 7.21 ft | · | 30°F | 4,420 ft | Rapid |
|
Bois De Sioux River Near White Rock, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 05050000 |
16 cfs | 3.90 ft | · | 46°F | 968 ft | Bois De Sioux |
|
Belle Fourche R Near Fruitdale Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06436000 |
14 cfs | 1.71 ft | · | 35°F | 2,940 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Little Spearfish Creek Near Lead, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06430850 |
13 cfs | 4.77 ft | · | 29°F | 5,053 ft | Redwater |
|
South Fork Grand R Near Cash Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06356500 |
11 cfs | · | · | 34°F | 2,425 ft | South Fork Grand |
|
White R Near Oglala Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06446000 |
11 cfs | 6.47 ft | · | 37°F | 2,880 ft | Upper White |
|
Lake Cr Below Refuge Near Tuthill Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06449000 |
10 cfs | 2.84 ft | · | 38°F | 2,991 ft | Little White |
|
Whitewood Creek Near Whitewood Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06436190 |
10 cfs | 5.82 ft | · | 35°F | 3,173 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
East Fork Vermillion River Near Parker, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06478600 |
10 cfs | 6.19 ft | · | 49°F | 1,328 ft | Vermillion |
|
Moreau R Near Whitehorse Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06360500 |
10 cfs | 1.87 ft | · | 42°F | 1,670 ft | Lower Moreau |
|
Rapid Cr Above Canyon Lake Near Rapid City Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06412500 |
10 cfs | 1.63 ft | 35°F | 37°F | 3,416 ft | Rapid |
|
Moreau R Near Faith Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06359500 |
9 cfs | · | · | 35°F | 2,248 ft | Lower Moreau |
|
Cheyenne R At Edgemont Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06395000 |
9 cfs | 1.21 ft | · | 35°F | 3,422 ft | Angostura Reservoir |
|
Cleghorn Springs At Rapid City, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06412810 |
9 cfs | 2.63 ft | · | 37°F | 3,371 ft | Rapid |
|
Castle Cr Above Deerfield Res Near Hill City Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06409000 |
8 cfs | 2.76 ft | · | 27°F | 5,929 ft | Rapid |
|
White R Nr Ne-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06445685 |
7 cfs | 3.70 ft | · | 38°F | 3,041 ft | Upper White |
|
Beaver Cr Near Buffalo Gap Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06402500 |
6 cfs | 4.11 ft | · | 38°F | 3,161 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Boxelder Cr Near Nemo Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06422500 |
4 cfs | 1.20 ft | · | 30°F | 4,334 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Elk |
|
Firesteel Cr Near Mount Vernon Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06477500 |
4 cfs | 2.89 ft | · | 47°F | 1,304 ft | Lower James |
|
Rhoads Fork Near Rochford Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06408700 |
4 cfs | 3.69 ft | · | 26°F | 5,981 ft | Rapid |
|
Little Missouri R At Camp Crook Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06334500 |
4 cfs | 1.76 ft | · | 31°F | 3,102 ft | Upper Little Missouri |
|
Bear Butte Creek Near Deadwood, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06437020 |
3 cfs | 3.81 ft | · | 32°F | 4,753 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Battle Cr At Hermosa Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06406000 |
3 cfs | 2.60 ft | · | 37°F | 3,284 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
French Cr Above Fairburn Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06403300 |
2 cfs | · | · | 38°F | 3,825 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Skunk Cr Nr Chester Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06481480 |
2 cfs | · | · | 48°F | 1,563 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Grace Coolidge Cr Nr Game Lodge Nr Custer Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06404998 |
1 cfs | 6.85 ft | · | 37°F | 4,125 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Platte Creek Near Platte, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06452320 |
1 cfs | 1.62 ft | · | 46°F | 1,373 ft | Fort Randall Reservoir |
|
Battle Cr Near Keystone Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06404000 |
0 cfs | 3.37 ft | · | 37°F | 3,815 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Foot Creek Near Aberdeen, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06471800 |
0 cfs | 4.16 ft | · | 49°F | 1,329 ft | Upper James |
|
Elk Cr Near Elm Springs Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06425500 |
0 cfs | 3.47 ft | · | 39°F | 2,322 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Elk |
|
North Fork Grand R Near White Butte Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06355500 |
0 cfs | · | · | 34°F | 2,318 ft | North Fork Grand |
|
Horsehead Cr At Oelrichs Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06400875 |
0 cfs | 1.73 ft | · | 37°F | 3,315 ft | Angostura Reservoir |
|
Hat Cr Near Edgemont Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06400000 |
0 cfs | 6.51 ft | · | 39°F | 3,301 ft | Hat |
|
Battle Cr Below Hermosa Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06406500 |
0 cfs | 1.85 ft | · | 38°F | 2,810 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Spring Cr Near Keystone Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06407500 |
0 cfs | 3.38 ft | · | 37°F | 3,898 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Whitewood Cr Above Vale Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06436198 |
0 cfs | 1.49 ft | · | 36°F | 2,857 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Murray Ditch Ab Headgate At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06429997 |
0 cfs | · | · | 30°F | 3,457 ft | Redwater |
|
South Fork Bad R Near Cottonwood Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06440200 |
0 cfs | 3.33 ft | · | 37°F | 2,253 ft | Bad |
About South Dakota streamflow
What are river levels like in South Dakota right now?
As of November 4, 2026, South Dakota rivers are running at 156% of normal across 92 USGS streamgauges, and the White R Near Oacoma Sd is reporting the highest discharge at 1,340 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.
Which South Dakota river is running highest right now?
As of November 4, 2026, the highest discharge in South Dakota is 1,340 cfs on the White R Near Oacoma Sd. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.
Are South Dakota rivers high or low right now?
Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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.