River stage
Northfield, Cannon River
- River level
- 890.20 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- -0.29 ft
- Recent high
- 892.99 ft
- Recent low
- 889.75 ft
Last reported 2026-10-14 | NWS NRFM5
- 30-day change
- +0.26 ft
- Average
- 890.81 ft
- Readings
- 122
- Data span
- 122 days
- Record crest
- 901.52 ft
In brief
The Cannon River at Northfield, MN read 890.20 ft on Oct 14, 2026, 4.80 ft below action stage. That is 0.26 ft higher than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge NRFM5
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 901.52 ft | 2024-06-23 |
| 2 | 901.50 ft | 2010-09-24 |
| 3 | 901.30 ft | 2016-09-24 |
| 4 | 899.70 ft | 2014-06-20 |
| 5 | 899.45 ft | 2013-07-13 |
| 6 | 899.10 ft | 2019-03-22 |
| 7 | 898.40 ft | 2001-04-12 |
| 8 | 898.13 ft | 2019-10-06 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 897.00 ft
Water backs up into businesses along river in downtown Northfield. Riverwalk on west side of town begins to flood.
- 897.50 ft
Flood waters reach Carleton College soccer fields. Babcock Park north of downtown begins to flood.
- 899.00 ft
Laird Stadium at Carleton College begins to flood; west gymnasium threatened.
- 899.50 ft
Water reaches top of wall on east side of town near dam, as well as west side downstream of dam below Froggy's.
- 900.00 ft
A few properties on east side of river, above the dam, flood near downtown Northfield.
- 900.50 ft
Northfield Fire building threatened by flood waters; parking lot flooded, water reaches building.
- 901.00 ft
Lower windows breached on buildings on west side of river (Froggy's, Law offices).
- 901.50 ft
Water reaches bottom of deck on 2nd Street bridge.
- 902.00 ft
Hwy 19 Bridge over Spring Creek on Carleton campus floods.
- 903.00 ft
Hwy 3 floods north of 5th Street.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cannon River flooding at Northfield?
No. The Cannon River at Northfield is at 890.2 ft, 4.8 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Northfield?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 895 ft, minor flooding 897 ft, moderate flooding 899 ft and major flooding 900 ft.
What is the highest the Cannon River has been at Northfield?
The highest crest on record is 901.52 ft, on 2024-06-23.
Is the Cannon River high or low right now at Northfield?
At 890.2 ft it is higher than 20% of readings over the last 122 days.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge NRFM5); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 05355024). Last reading 2026-10-14. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.