Rifle River near Sterling, MI
River level and flood forecast · Arenac County
The river is 4.4 ft below flood stage (6 ft).
Flow: 204 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Rifle River near Sterling to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 13 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 11 ft |
| Flood stage | 6 ft |
| Action stage | 5 ft |
| Record crest (April 14, 2026) | 11.64 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 15 ftFlooding of property along North Main Street in Omer.
- 12 ftFlooding of homes along Pinnacle Drive and Miller Road. Flooding of Crystal Creek Campground along Grove Road.
- 11 ftFlooding occurs at Rifle River Campground and Canoe Livery.
- 9 ftHigh water begins to impact campground at White's Canoe Livery at Melita Road bridge.
- 6 ftHigh water begins to impact canoe livery at River View Campground.
Highest crests on record
- 11.64 ft — April 14, 2026
- 9.15 ft — April 1, 2025
- 7.74 ft — March 24, 2022
- 7.73 ft — April 11, 2013
- 6.75 ft — April 6, 2023
Recent crests: 11.64 ft (April 14, 2026) · 9.15 ft (April 1, 2025) · 4.54 ft (March 9, 2024) · 6.75 ft (April 6, 2023) · 7.74 ft (March 24, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Tittabawassee River below Secord Dam near Gladwin, MI
- Au Gres River near Au Gres, MI
- East Branch Au Gres River near Alabaster, MI
- Tobacco River at Beaverton, MI
- South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton, MI
- Tittabawassee River at Sanford, MI
- Tittabawassee River at Midland, MI
- Au Sable River near Curtisville (Alcona Dam), MI
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (STRM4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.