Mississippi River river
Total streamflow across the Mississippi River was last observed at 2,803,754 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 5,561,179 acre-ft of water today; about 81% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 3,468,076 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-06-11 when daily discharge volume was observed at 7,577,143 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Mississippi River At Vicksburg reporting a streamflow rate of 529,000 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Mississippi River, with a gauge stage of 49.25 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 20 different streamgauging stations along the Mississippi River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,318 ft, the Mississippi River Near Bemidji.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Mississippi River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Mississippi River
All 20 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mississippi River Near Bemidji
MN
USGS 05200510
|
237 | 3.12 | 1.3 | 60% | 22 | 1,150 | 1,318 |
|
Mississippi River At Grand Rapids
MN
USGS 05211000
|
457 | 3.44 | 0.0 | 46% | 39 | 4,830 | 1,246 |
|
Mississippi River At Aitkin
MN
USGS 05227500
|
1,750 | 4.88 | -1.7 | 28% | 246 | 14,900 | 1,206 |
|
Mississippi River At Brainerd
MN
USGS 05242300
|
2,040 | 5.64 | -4.2 | 27% | 270 | 17,800 | 1,167 |
|
Mississippi River Near Royalton
MN
USGS 05267000
|
3,730 | 9.47 | -0.8 | 30% | 620 | 28,500 | 1,017 |
|
Mississippi River At St. Cloud
MN
USGS 05270700
|
4,490 | 4.93 | 4.4 | 34% | 203 | 36,100 | 954 |
|
Mississippi River At Anoka
MN
USGS 05283500
|
5,380 | 4.54 | -14.1 | 42% | 249 | 55,600 | 827 |
|
Mississippi River Near Anoka
MN
USGS 05288500
|
6,970 | 3.40 | -1.7 | 36% | 887 | 65,400 | 817 |
|
Mississippi River At St. Paul
MN
USGS 05331000
|
16,500 | 3.80 | -8.3 | 47% | 1,900 | 115,000 | 695 |
|
Mississippi River At Prescott
WI
USGS 05344500
|
23,400 | 26.17 | -2.9 | 53% | 2,160 | 136,000 | 679 |
|
Mississippi River At Red Wing
MN
USGS 05355250
|
23,700 | 4.51 | -0.8 | 54% | 4,230 | 177,000 | 669 |
|
Mississippi River At Winona
MN
USGS 05378500
|
32,100 | 5.77 | 3.2 | 58% | 8,500 | 205,000 | 644 |
|
Mississippi River At Mcgregor
IA
USGS 05389500
|
21,700 | 8.16 | · | · | · | · | 610 |
|
Mississippi River At Clinton
IA
USGS 05420500
|
54,000 | 10.69 | -3.6 | 51% | 9,100 | 234,000 | 593 |
|
Mississippi River At St. Louis
MO
USGS 07010000
|
363,000 | 21.91 | -3.5 | 105% | 58,200 | 946,000 | 391 |
|
Mississippi River At Chester
IL
USGS 07020500
|
400,000 | 24.97 | -1.2 | 106% | 61,300 | 968,000 | 358 |
|
Mississippi River At Thebes
IL
USGS 07022000
|
419,000 | 27.97 | 2.0 | 107% | 44,600 | 947,000 | 321 |
|
Mississippi River At Memphis
TN
USGS 07032000
|
496,000 | 0.19 | 12.5 | 73% | 108,000 | 1,730,000 | 308 |
|
Mississippi River At Vicksburg
MS
USGS 07289000
|
529,000 | 49.25 | -0.6 | 49% | 168,000 | 1,920,000 | 65 |
|
Mississippi River At Baton Rouge
LA
USGS 07374000
|
422,000 | 16.25 | -1.2 | 52% | 131,000 | 1,432,000 | 16 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
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.
Recreation along the Mississippi River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Mississippi River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Mississippi River
Where does the data for the Mississippi River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.