Tippecanoe River River Levels

Last Updated: December 4, 2025

The Tippecanoe River is a 225-mile-long river that flows through northern Indiana, originating from the wetlands in Tippecanoe Lake.


Summary

Total streamflow across the Tippecanoe River was last observed at 1,429 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 2,834 acre-ft of water today; about 38% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 3,733 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2018-02-22 when daily discharge volume was observed at 33,670 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Tippecanoe River Near Delphi reporting a streamflow rate of 493 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Tippecanoe River At Buffalo with a gauge stage of 7.45 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Tippecanoe River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 852 ft, the Tippecanoe River At North Webster.

River Details

Last Updated 2025-12-04
Discharge Volume 2,834 ACRE-FT
Streamflow 1,428.8 cfs
+154.0 cfs (+12.08%)
Percent of Normal 38.28%
Maximum 33,670.0 cfs
2018-02-22
Seasonal Avg 3,733 cfs
       
River Streamflow Levels
Streamgauge Streamflow Gauge Stage 24hr Change (%) % Normal Minimum (cfs) Maximum (cfs) Air Temp Elevation
Tippecanoe River At North Webster
USGS 03330241
15 cfs 3.23 ft -44.07
Tippecanoe River At Oswego
USGS 03330500
35 cfs 5.23 ft 0
Tippecanoe River Near Ora
USGS 03331500
187 cfs 5.38 ft 1.08
Tippecanoe River At Winamac
USGS 03331753
290 cfs 3.8 ft 9.02
Tippecanoe River At Buffalo
USGS 03332345
424 cfs 7.45 ft 47.74
Tippecanoe River Near Delphi
USGS 03333050
493 cfs 1.98 ft -1.79
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile

The Tippecanoe River ( TIP-ee-kə-NOO) is a gentle, 182-mile-long (293 km) river in northern Indiana that flows from Big Lake in Noble County to the Wabash River near what is now Battle Ground, about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Lafayette. The name "Tippecanoe" was derived from a Miami-Illinois word for buffalo fish, reconstructed as */kiteepihkwana/ or as kiteepihkwana siipiiwi.The Tippecanoe River is fed by 88 natural lakes and has a drainage area of 1,250,000 acres (5,100 km2), spanning 14 counties. It supports more numerous imperiled species and overall species diversity than most streams of the upper Midwest. The Nature Conservancy has identified it as one of the top ten rivers in the United States to preserve due to its ecological diversity and the high proportion of endangered species found in it.