A small USGS stream gaging station with an antenna on its roof under a cloudy evening sky

Check a river’s flow.

Search any USGS stream gauge by river or station name, by state, or near you. Each card shows the latest flow and how it compares with the normal range for today’s date; open a gauge for the full picture: trend, water temperature and what it means for trout, safety and the official NWS flood stage.

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3 USGS gauges near your location (within 30 miles)

IRON RIVER AT CASPIAN, MI

USGS 04060500

Caution: High water: fish the edges; wading risky

No water temperature here. The full view adds the NWS forecast.

Discharge: 121 ft³/s
Gauge height: 4.99 ft

Much above normal for Nov 5 Rising · 24 h Below NWS action stage

Last 24 hours

View data as a table

Discharge, last 7 days: readings, about hourly, newest first. USGS provisional data may be revised.
Time	Discharge (ft³/s)	Gauge height (ft)
Nov 5, 8:30 PM CST	121	4.99
Nov 5, 7:30 PM CST	124	5.03
Nov 5, 6:30 PM CST	116	4.94
Nov 5, 5:30 PM CST	101	4.75
Nov 5, 4:30 PM CST	83.6	4.52
Nov 5, 3:30 PM CST	80.8	4.48
Nov 5, 2:30 PM CST	81.5	4.49
Nov 5, 1:30 PM CST	81.5	4.49
Nov 5, 12:30 PM CST	82.2	4.5
Nov 5, 11:30 AM CST	83.6	4.52
Nov 5, 10:30 AM CST	84.4	4.53
Nov 5, 9:30 AM CST	85.1	4.54
Nov 5, 8:30 AM CST	85.1	4.54
Nov 5, 7:30 AM CST	85.1	4.54
Nov 5, 6:30 AM CST	85.1	4.54
Nov 5, 5:30 AM CST	84.4	4.53
Nov 5, 4:30 AM CST	83.6	4.52
Nov 5, 3:30 AM CST	82.9	4.51
Nov 5, 1:30 AM CST	82.9	4.51
Nov 5, 12:30 AM CST	83.6	4.52
Nov 4, 11:30 PM CST	84.4	4.53
Nov 4, 10:30 PM CST	85.1	4.54
Nov 4, 9:30 PM CST	85.8	4.55
Nov 4, 8:30 PM CST	86.5	4.56
Nov 4, 7:30 PM CST	86.5	4.56
Nov 4, 6:30 PM CST	87.2	4.57

Reading Nov 5, 8:30 PM CST · checked 8:56 PM CST

Open full screen USGS NWS

On our page for Iron River

15 miles away in a straight line

MIDDLE BRANCH ONTONAGON RIVER NEAR PAULDING, MI

USGS 04033000

Limited data: Normal flow for the date: no water temperature here

No water temperature here. The full view adds the NWS forecast.

Discharge: 142 ft³/s
Gauge height: 4.55 ft

Normal for Nov 5 Steady · 24 h Below NWS action stage

Last 24 hours

View data as a table

Discharge, last 7 days: readings, about hourly, newest first. USGS provisional data may be revised.
Time	Discharge (ft³/s)	Gauge height (ft)
Nov 5, 8:45 PM EST	142	4.55
Nov 5, 7:45 PM EST	143	4.56
Nov 5, 6:45 PM EST	142	4.55
Nov 5, 5:45 PM EST	142	4.55
Nov 5, 4:45 PM EST	142	4.55
Nov 5, 3:45 PM EST	142	4.55
Nov 5, 2:45 PM EST	141	4.54
Nov 5, 1:45 PM EST	142	4.55
Nov 5, 12:45 PM EST	141	4.54
Nov 5, 11:45 AM EST	141	4.54
Nov 5, 10:45 AM EST	141	4.54
Nov 5, 9:45 AM EST	140	4.53
Nov 5, 8:45 AM EST	140	4.53
Nov 5, 7:45 AM EST	138	4.52
Nov 5, 6:45 AM EST	140	4.53
Nov 5, 5:45 AM EST	140	4.53
Nov 5, 4:45 AM EST	138	4.52
Nov 5, 3:45 AM EST	140	4.53
Nov 5, 2:45 AM EST	137	4.51
Nov 5, 1:45 AM EST	137	4.51
Nov 5, 12:45 AM EST	137	4.51
Nov 4, 11:45 PM EST	137	4.51
Nov 4, 10:45 PM EST	137	4.51
Nov 4, 9:45 PM EST	136	4.5
Nov 4, 8:45 PM EST	137	4.51
Nov 4, 7:45 PM EST	136	4.5
Nov 4, 6:45 PM EST	136	4.5

CISCO BRANCH ONTONAGON R AT CISCO LAKE OUTLET, MI

USGS 04037500

Caution: Rising water: fishable, but watch the level

No water temperature here. The full view adds the NWS forecast.

Discharge: 75.8 ft³/s
Gauge height: 4.95 ft

Normal for Nov 5 Rising · 24 h

Last 24 hours

View data as a table

Discharge, last 7 days: readings, about hourly, newest first. USGS provisional data may be revised.
Time	Discharge (ft³/s)	Gauge height (ft)
Nov 5, 8:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 7:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 6:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 5:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 4:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 3:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 2:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 1:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 12:00 PM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 11:00 AM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 10:00 AM CST	75.8	4.95
Nov 5, 9:00 AM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 5, 8:00 AM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 5, 7:00 AM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 5, 6:00 AM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 5, 5:00 AM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 5, 4:00 AM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 5, 3:00 AM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 5, 2:00 AM CST	58.8	4.81
Nov 5, 1:00 AM CST	58.8	4.81
Nov 5, 12:00 AM CST	58.8	4.81
Nov 4, 11:00 PM CST	58.8	4.81
Nov 4, 10:00 PM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 4, 9:00 PM CST	58.8	4.81
Nov 4, 8:00 PM CST	57.7	4.8
Nov 4, 7:00 PM CST	58.8	4.81
Nov 4, 6:00 PM CST	57.7	4.8

Checked Nov 5, 8:56 PM CST; readings refresh at most every 15 minutes and statistics daily. Provisional USGS data can be revised. Conditions change: re-check before you go. This is general guidance, not a fishing forecast, a safety guarantee or a statement about access.

IRON RIVER AT CASPIAN, MI
USGS 04060500 · MI · live flow · gauge height · 15 mi
Reading the gauge…
MIDDLE BRANCH ONTONAGON RIVER NEAR PAULDING, MI
USGS 04033000 · MI · live flow · gauge height · 16.1 mi
Reading the gauge…
CISCO BRANCH ONTONAGON R AT CISCO LAKE OUTLET, MI
USGS 04037500 · MI · live flow · gauge height · 26.9 mi
Reading the gauge…

Quick picks: our 2,852 waters by state

Each state opens its USGS gauges and our water pages there; a water opens the live cards for its gauges, or the NOAA tides for flats and surf.

Search covers 11,178 USGS stream gauges that reported discharge, gauge height or water temperature in the 183 days before 2026-10-23 (USGS series catalog); readings are fetched live when a gauge is shown.

Where these numbers come from

Discharge, gauge height, water temperature and water quality: U.S. Geological Survey readings (provisional, can be revised), cached for 15 minutes. Where USGS publishes a gauge’s flow only once a day, the latest daily mean is shown with its date.
Normal range: the 25th to 75th percentile of daily mean flow for the same calendar day over the gauge’s record (USGS daily statistics), classed as USGS does (hyswap).
Temperature guidance for trout quotes the gauge’s own state fish and wildlife agency; where we found none, it says so and quotes federal guidance (National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Cold-water safety quotes the NWS; dissolved oxygen and pH are read against EPA criteria. Each line names its source.
Flood stage and forecasts: the National Weather Service’s National Water Prediction Service and its Turn Around Don’t Drown guidance. Tides: NOAA Tides & Currents.

General guidance, not a fishing forecast, a safety guarantee or a statement about access. Planning a trip? The trip planner shows these readings on every day you fish a water.