Mississippi River Flow Today
As of October 18, 2026 at 2:00 AM, the Mississippi River is flowing at 463,000 cfs at Vicksburg, MS — 125% of normal for the date and down 2% in 24 hours. 19 of 20 USGS gauges reported in the last 3 days; flows range from 205 to 463,000 cfs. ❤ Favorite
Mississippi River map
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Every gauge, dam and paddle run on the river, one tap each:
- Gauges now — which reaches are high or low
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Mississippi River conditions today
Where the river is running versus normal, what’s rising or dropping, and what it means for a trip — built from the live USGS readings below.
At Vicksburg, the Mississippi River is running 463,000 cfs — 125% of normal, down 2% since yesterday. Along the river, 12 of 19 reporting gauges are below normal (the typical gauge is at 63% of normal).
In the last 24 hours the river is rising at Clinton (+19%); dropping at Brainerd (-23%) and St. Cloud (-16%).
Highest against normal: Thebes at 159%. Lowest: Brainerd at 22%.
Flood watch: Vicksburg is at moderate flood stage (49.25 ft). Check NWS before heading out.
Paddlers: 5 of 10 runs on the Mississippi River with a live range are in range, 5 too low.
High water on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River At Vicksburg is at 49.25 ft — moderate flood stage (flood stage 43.0 ft).
How the Mississippi River compares to normal
Every reporting gauge from the top of the river to the bottom: bar length is today’s flow, colour is percent of normal for the date.
Flow along the river, upstream to downstream
- Bemidji1,318 ft 205 cfs101%
- Grand Rapids1,246 ft 401 cfs39%
- Aitkin1,206 ft 715 cfs40%
- Brainerd1,167 ft 466 cfs22%
- Royalton1,017 ft 1,680 cfs48%
- St. Cloud954 ft 1,690 cfs39%
- Anoka827 ft 2,470 cfs56%
- Anoka817 ft 2,720 cfs42%
- St. Paul695 ft 7,010 cfs75%
- Prescott679 ft 9,250 cfs63%
- Red Wing669 ft 9,630 cfs62%
- Winona644 ft 11,800 cfs42%
- Clinton593 ft 32,600 cfs83%
- St. Louis391 ft 195,000 cfs157%
- Chester358 ft 194,000 cfs155%
- Thebes321 ft 200,000 cfs159%
- Memphis308 ft 404,000 cfs108%
- Vicksburg65 ft 463,000 cfs125%
- Baton Rouge16 ft 335,000 cfs126%
Bar length uses a square-root scale so small headwater flows stay visible next to big downstream ones. Colour: <50% 50–90 90–110 110–150 150%+ of normal.
Where every gauge sits
One dot per Mississippi River streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The line is the typical gauge (63%).
Mississippi River flow report
| Streamgage | Streamflow | % of normal | 24h | Gage height | To flood stage | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mississippi River Near Bemidji MN
Oct 18, 2:30 AM · USGS 05200510 |
205 cfs | 101% | -1% | 3.39 ft | · | 1,318 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Grand Rapids MN
Oct 18, 1:45 AM · USGS 05211000 |
401 cfs | 39% | -6% | 3.33 ft | · | 1,246 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Aitkin MN
Oct 18, 2:30 AM · USGS 05227500 |
715 cfs | 40% | +1% | 2.27 ft | 10.7 ft below | 1,206 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Brainerd MN
Oct 18, 2:30 AM · USGS 05242300 |
466 cfs | 22% | -23% | 4.27 ft | · | 1,167 ft |
|
Mississippi River Near Royalton MN
Oct 18, 2:15 AM · USGS 05267000 |
1,680 cfs | 48% | -1% | 8.32 ft | · | 1,017 ft |
|
Mississippi River At St. Cloud MN
Oct 18, 1:45 AM · USGS 05270700 |
1,690 cfs | 39% | -16% | 4.04 ft | 5.0 ft below | 954 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Anoka MN
Oct 18, 2:30 AM · USGS 05283500 |
2,470 cfs | 56% | -5% | 4.31 ft | · | 827 ft |
|
Mississippi River Near Anoka MN
Oct 18, 2:15 AM · USGS 05288500 |
2,720 cfs | 42% | -5% | 1.64 ft | · | 817 ft |
|
Mississippi River At St. Paul MN
Oct 18, 2:00 AM · USGS 05331000 |
7,010 cfs | 75% | +9% | 3.06 ft | 10.9 ft below | 695 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Prescott WI
Oct 18, 2:00 AM · USGS 05344500 |
9,250 cfs | 63% | -14% | 25.00 ft | · | 679 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Red Wing MN
Oct 18, 2:15 AM · USGS 05355250 |
9,630 cfs | 62% | +9% | 2.59 ft | 11.4 ft below | 669 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Winona MN
Oct 18, 2:15 AM · USGS 05378500 |
11,800 cfs | 42% | 0% | 5.73 ft | 7.3 ft below | 644 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Mcgregor IA
Last reported Oct 30 · USGS 05389500 |
21,700 cfs | · | · | 8.16 ft | flood 16.0 ft | 610 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Clinton IA
Oct 18, 2:30 AM · USGS 05420500 |
32,600 cfs | 83% | +19% | 9.34 ft | 7.7 ft below | 593 ft |
|
Mississippi River At St. Louis MO
Oct 18, 2:30 AM · USGS 07010000 |
195,000 cfs | 157% | -7% | 9.01 ft | 21.0 ft below | 391 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Chester IL
Oct 18, 2:30 AM · USGS 07020500 |
194,000 cfs | 155% | -6% | 12.71 ft | 14.3 ft below | 358 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Thebes IL
Oct 18, 2:30 AM · USGS 07022000 |
200,000 cfs | 159% | -4% | 17.47 ft | 15.5 ft below | 321 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Memphis TN
Oct 18, 2:00 AM · USGS 07032000 |
404,000 cfs | 108% | +3% | 0.19 ft | 33.8 ft below | 308 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Vicksburg MS
Oct 18, 2:00 AM · USGS 07289000 |
463,000 cfs | 125% | -2% | 49.25 ft | Moderate flood | 65 ft |
|
Mississippi River At Baton Rouge LA
Oct 18, 2:15 AM · USGS 07374000 |
335,000 cfs | 126% | +2% | 12.22 ft | · | 16 ft |
USGS provisional data. Readings are in each gauge’s local time; gauges silent for more than 3 days are marked “Last reported”. Tap any gauge for its hydrograph, forecast and history.
Paddle runs on the Mississippi River
5 of 12 runs are in range right now. Each run is checked against its runnable range using the gauge it is keyed to (or the nearest gauge on this river).
Dams & reservoirs on the Mississippi River
Releases from these dams shape the flow downstream. Tap one for its daily level and history.
Mississippi River streamflow over time
Daily total flow across every monitored gauge on the river.
Maximum streamflow by year
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the fourth-longest river in the world, stretching over 2,300 miles from its source in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. It has played a significant role in the history and development of the United States, serving as a major transportation route for goods and people. The river's hydrology is influenced by its major tributaries, such as the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, and it has been harnessed for hydroelectric power through the construction of several dams and reservoirs, including the famous Hoover Dam. The river has also been an important source of freshwater for agricultural irrigation and a popular destination for recreational activities such as boating and fishing. However, the river has also faced challenges, including pollution and flooding, which have had significant impacts on the surrounding environment and communities.
Fishing near the Mississippi River
About the Mississippi River
How is the Mississippi River flowing right now?
As of October 18, 2026, the Mississippi River is flowing at 463,000 cfs at Vicksburg, MS, about 125% of normal for the date. Across its 20 USGS gauges, current flows range from 205 to 463,000 cfs. Every gauge’s live reading is in the table above.
Is the Mississippi River running high or low?
The typical gauge on the Mississippi River is at 63% of normal for the date. Above 100% means higher than the historical average for this calendar day; below 100% means lower. The profile above shows which reaches are high or low.
What is flood stage on the Mississippi River?
The National Weather Service sets flood stages for Aitkin (13.0 ft), St. Cloud (9.0 ft), St. Paul (14.0 ft), Red Wing (14.0 ft), Winona (13.0 ft), Mcgregor (16.0 ft), Clinton (17.0 ft), St. Louis (30.0 ft), Chester (27.0 ft), Thebes (33.0 ft), Memphis (34.0 ft), Vicksburg (43.0 ft), . The table shows how far each gauge is below its flood stage right now.
Is the Mississippi River runnable for paddling today?
5 of 12 paddle runs are in range right now. Each run in the paddle table is checked against its runnable range using its gauge's live flow.
Where does the data come from?
Discharge and gage height are from the USGS National Water Information System; flood stages from the National Weather Service. The history chart sums every monitored gauge on the river.
Can I get alerts for a gauge?
Yes — open any gauge from the table, favorite it in the Snoflo app and set a flow threshold.