SAUK RIVER

RIVER LEVELS
April 27, 2025


Red Flag Warning
2025-04-27T20:00:00-06:00

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from 11 AM to 8 PM MDT Sunday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 214, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247 and 249. * TIMING...From 11 AM to 8 PM MDT Sunday. * WINDS...South 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.


Total streamflow across the Sauk River was last observed at 5,580 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 11,068 acre-ft of water today; about 68% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 8,255 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2021-11-15 when daily discharge volume was observed at 75,153 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Sauk River At Darrington reporting a streamflow rate of 5,220 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Sauk River, with a gauge stage of 8.24 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Sauk River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,024 ft, the Sauk River Near St. Cloud.

Last Updated 2025-04-27
Discharge Volume 11,068 ACRE-FT
Streamflow 5,580.0 cfs
+670.0 cfs (+13.65%)
Percent of Normal 67.6%
Maximum 75,153.0 cfs
2021-11-15
Seasonal Avg 8,255 cfs
       
River Streamflow Levels
Streamgauge Streamflow Gauge Stage 24hr Change (%) % Normal Minimum (cfs) Maximum (cfs) Air Temp Elevation
Sauk River Near St. Cloud
USGS 05270500
490 cfs 1.84 ft -2
Sauk River Ab Whitechuck River Near Darrington
USGS 12186000
1240 cfs 3.7 ft 10.52
Sauk River At Darrington
USGS 12187500
5220 cfs 8.24 ft
Sauk River Near Sauk
USGS 12189500
3850 cfs 4.79 ft 4.32
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge

Weather Forecast

Streamflow Elevation Profile

The Sauk River is a 122-mile-long (196 km) tributary of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota in the United States. It drains small lakes in Stearns County. In the Ojibwe language it is called Ozaagi-ziibi, meaning "River of the Sauks".It issues from Lake Osakis on the Todd County line and flows east through Guernsey Lake, Little Sauk Lake and Juergens Lake, then south through Sauk Lake and past Sauk Centre, southeast past Melrose and Richmond, then northeast through Cedar Island Lake and Zumwalde Lake, past Cold Spring and Waite Park to the Mississippi River 2 miles (3 km) north of St. Cloud.
The rapids that occur south of the river's mouth on the Mississippi River lent their name to the nearby city of Sauk Rapids.