Prairie River Flow Today
As of October 13, 2026 at 2:00 AM, the Prairie River is flowing at 73 cfs near Merrill, WI — 57% of normal for the date and up 2% in 24 hours. 3 of 3 USGS gauges reported in the last 3 days; flows range from 53 to 73 cfs. ❤ Favorite
Prairie River map
See the Prairie River on a live map
Every gauge, dam and paddle run on the river, one tap each:
- Gauges now — which reaches are high or low
- Dams & paddle runs — storage and what’s in range
- Rain — past 24 hrs and the 72-hr forecast, press play
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Prairie 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 Merrill, the Prairie River is running 73 cfs — 57% of normal, up 2% since yesterday. Along the river, 2 of 3 reporting gauges are below normal (the typical gauge is at 85% of normal).
Highest against normal: Nottawa at 111%. Lowest: Merrill at 57%.
How the Prairie 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
- Taconite1,332 ft 65 cfs85%
- Merrill1,300 ft 73 cfs57%
- Nottawa872 ft 53 cfs111%
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 Prairie River streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The line is the typical gauge (85%).
Prairie River flow report
| Streamgage | Streamflow | % of normal | 24h | Gage height | To flood stage | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Prairie River Near Taconite MN
Oct 13, 2:00 AM · USGS 05212700 |
65 cfs | 85% | 0% | 2.29 ft | 7.7 ft below | 1,332 ft |
|
Prairie River Near Merrill WI
Oct 13, 2:00 AM · USGS 05394500 |
73 cfs | 57% | +2% | 2.00 ft | · | 1,300 ft |
|
Prairie River Near Nottawa MI
Oct 13, 2:00 AM · USGS 04097540 |
53 cfs | 111% | -2% | 3.24 ft | · | 872 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 Prairie River
Each run is checked against its runnable range using the gauge it is keyed to (or the nearest gauge on this river).
| Run | Status | Flow now | Runnable range | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Confluence Of The Prairie River To The Boundary Of Logan And Workman Townships Gauge: Taconite |
No live range | 65 cfs | 478–1,050 cfs typical | I–III |
Dams & reservoirs on the Prairie River
Releases from these dams shape the flow downstream. Tap one for its daily level and history.
Prairie River streamflow over time
Daily total flow across every monitored gauge on the river.
Maximum streamflow by year
About the Prairie River
How is the Prairie River flowing right now?
As of October 13, 2026, the Prairie River is flowing at 73 cfs near Merrill, WI, about 57% of normal for the date. Across its 3 USGS gauges, current flows range from 53 to 73 cfs. Every gauge’s live reading is in the table above.
Is the Prairie River running high or low?
The typical gauge on the Prairie River is at 85% 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 Prairie River?
The National Weather Service sets flood stages for Taconite (10.0 ft), . The table shows how far each gauge is below its flood stage right now.
Is the Prairie River runnable for paddling today?
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.