River Conditions
Illustrated map of Lake Itasca

River stage

Montevideo, Minnesota River

River level
3.65 ft
Status
Below flood stage
7-day change
-0.22 ft
Recent high
9.57 ft
Recent low
1.95 ft

Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS MVOM5

30-day change
+0.80 ft
Average
4.35 ft
Readings
122
Data span
122 days
Record crest
23.90 ft

In brief

The Minnesota River at Montevideo, MN read 3.65 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 8.35 ft below action stage. That is 0.80 ft higher than 30 days earlier.

Source: National Weather Service gauge MVOM5

River level timeline

1.72.53.24.04.8SEP 13SEP 18SEP 23SEP 28OCT 03OCT 08OCT 13HIGH 4.47LOW 2.013.64 ftLAST READING

Stage threshold profile

Action stage 12.00 ftMinor flooding 14.00 ftModerate flooding 16.00 ftMajor flooding 17.50 ft CURRENT 3.65 ft

Highest crests on record

RankCrestDate
1 23.90 ft 1997-04-06
2 22.15 ft 2001-04-14
3 21.98 ft 2019-03-30
4 21.68 ft 1969-04-12
5 20.09 ft 2010-03-23
6 20.02 ft 1952-04-10
7 19.76 ft 2011-04-07
8 19.36 ft 2023-04-17

Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.

What happens at each level

  1. 14.00 ft

    Low lying areas and some roads along the river begin flooding, along with some basements of houses along the river.

  2. 17.00 ft

    Storm sewers may need to be plugged to prevent water from backing up into streets.

  3. 18.00 ft

    Sanitary sewers begin to be affected at this level.

  4. 23.10 ft

    Low bridge steel elevation on the highway 59/212 bridge.

Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Minnesota River flooding at Montevideo?

No. The Minnesota River at Montevideo is at 3.65 ft, 8.35 ft below action stage.

What is the flood stage at Montevideo?

The National Weather Service sets action stage 12 ft, minor flooding 14 ft, moderate flooding 16 ft and major flooding 17.5 ft.

What is the highest the Minnesota River has been at Montevideo?

The highest crest on record is 23.9 ft, on 1997-04-06.

Is the Minnesota River high or low right now at Montevideo?

At 3.65 ft it is higher than 43% of readings over the last 122 days.

Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge MVOM5); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 05311000). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.