Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD

Lawrence County, South Dakota · USGS gauge 06430770 · NWS SLNS2 · Spearfish Creek flood status · South Dakota river levels

Nearby: river levels near Lead

Is Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD flooding right now?

Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD measured 7.51 ft on 2026-09-11 01:30:00 UTC. That observation was 3.5 ft below its 11 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
7.51 ft
as of 36 min ago
Streamflow
24 cfs
data refreshed 3 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 11 ft, with major flooding at 16 ft. The highest crest on record was 8.39 ft on Thu, Aug 20, 1998.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 14 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action9 ft1.5 ft below
Minor flood11 ft3.5 ft below
Moderate flood13 ft5.5 ft below
Major flood16 ft8.5 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
8.39 ft1998-08-20
8.33 ft2001-02-09
8.23 ft1999-06-12
8.22 ft1995-05-08
8.14 ft2023-02-23

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Annie Creek near Lead, SD2.3 miLawrence County
Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD4.8 miLawrence County
Whitetail Creek at Lead, SD5.9 miLawrence County
Cleopatra Creek near Spearfish, SD7.1 miLawrence County
False Bottom Creek near Central City7.2 miLawrence County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast