Knife River (MN) near Two Harbors, MN
River level and flood forecast · Lake County
Normal25.7 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 7.3 ft below flood stage (33 ft).
Flow: 5 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 36 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 34 ft |
| Flood stage | 33 ft |
| Action stage | 30 ft |
| Record crest (September 24, 2023) | 34.89 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 36 ftWater goes over the Church Road (County Road 102) bridge and indundates portions of Scenic Highway 61 downstream of the intersection with County Road 102. Extensive flooding of residential yards with water encroaching on riverside homes in the town of Knife River.
- 33.5 ftWater may begin to inundate low lying areas of residential properties on Alger Smith Road (County Road 103).
- 33 ftBottom of the stairs to the rest station trail become inundated and portions of the Knife River hiking trail on the south side of the river are under water.
- 30 ftLowest spots of the Knife River hiking trail on the south side of the river begin to be inundanted.
Highest crests on record
- 34.89 ft — September 24, 2023
- 32.63 ft — June 18, 2018
- 31.76 ft — June 19, 2024
- 30.36 ft — July 19, 2020
- 30.28 ft — July 23, 2025
Recent crests: 30.28 ft (July 23, 2025) · 31.76 ft (June 19, 2024) · 34.89 ft (September 24, 2023) · 30.03 ft (May 1, 2022) · 29.43 ft (April 12, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (KNIM5); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.