SNOFLO



OTTER TAIL RIVER

RIVER LEVELS
April 5, 2025


Total streamflow across the Otter Tail River was last observed at 821 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,628 acre-ft of water today; about 78% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,058 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2014-06-21 when daily discharge volume was observed at 3,480 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Otter Tail River Bl Orwell D Nr Fergus Falls reporting a streamflow rate of 525 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Otter Tail River Near Elizabeth with a gauge stage of 5.39 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Otter Tail River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,272 ft, the Otter Tail River Near Elizabeth.

Last Updated 2025-04-04
Discharge Volume 1,628 ACRE-FT
Streamflow 821.0 cfs
+77.0 cfs (+10.35%)
Percent of Normal 77.64%
Maximum 3,480.0 cfs
2014-06-21
Seasonal Avg 1,058 cfs
       
River Streamflow Levels
Created with Highcharts 8.0.0Total River Discharge (cfs)25. Mar26. Mar27. Mar28. Mar29. Mar30. Mar31. Mar1. Apr2. Apr3. Apr4. Apr05001000
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Created with Highcharts 8.0.0Total River Discharge (cfs)1. Jan1. Feb1. Mar1. Apr1. May1. Jun1. Jul1. Aug1. Sep1. Oct1. Nov1. Dec1. Jan02k4k
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Created with Highcharts 8.0.0YearAnnual Peak Discharge(cfs)201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520264001k2k4k

Weather Forecast

Streamflow Elevation Profile
Created with Highcharts 8.0.0

The Otter Tail River is a 192-mile-long (309 km) river in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It begins in Clearwater County, 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Bemidji. It then flows through a number of lakes and cities in Minnesota, including Elbow Lake, Many Point Lake, Chippewa Lake, Height of Land Lake, Frazee, the Pine lakes, Rush Lake, Otter Tail Lake and Ottertail, West Lost Lake, Fergus Falls, and Orwell Lake.
At its mouth, it joins with the Bois de Sioux River to form the Red River between Breckenridge, Minnesota and Wahpeton, North Dakota. The Red River is the Minnesota–North Dakota boundary from this point onward to the Canada–United States border. Waters of the Red River watershed ultimately flow north into Hudson Bay.
Between 1909 and 1925, the private Otter Tail Power Company built five dams on the Otter Tail River. They are Dayton Hollow (1909), Hoot Lake (1914), Pisgah (1918), Central / Wright (1871 / 1922), and Taplin Gorge (1925).