USGS Streamgage 06430850
Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD
Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD is USGS streamgage 06430850 in South Dakota, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10120203. It drains a watershed of about 28 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1988. Typical flow runs near 17.8 cfs in July and 16.8 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in July. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- South Dakota
- Drainage area
- 28 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 5,027 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10120203
- Coordinates
- 44.3497, -103.93543
- USGS site number
- 06430850
- Records begin
- 1988-10-01 (38 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.4 | 15.5 | 15.7 | ||
| 15.4 | 15.5 | 15.8 | ||
| 15.3 | 15.5 | 15.8 | ||
| 15.3 | 15.5 | 16 | ||
| 15.1 | 15.5 | 16 | ||
| 15 | 15.5 | 16.1 | ||
| 15 | 15.9 | 19.1 | ||
| 14.6 | 15.6 | 16.7 | ||
| 14.1 | 15.5 | 16.5 | ||
| 14 | 15.5 | 16.6 | ||
| 13.6 | 15.4 | 16.5 | ||
| 13.4 | 15.4 | 16.5 | ||
| 13.3 | 15.4 | 16.6 | ||
| 13.1 | 15.3 | 16.5 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 38 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.3 | 15.9 | 24.4 | |
| February | 10.9 | 15.6 | 23.6 | |
| March | 11.1 | 15.6 | 22.9 | |
| April | 12 | 16.8 | 24.7 | |
| May | 13.1 | 18.4 | 32.4 | |
| June | 13.6 | 18.8 | 31.9 | |
| July | 13 | 17.8 | 28.4 | |
| August | 12.9 | 17.6 | 27 | |
| September | 12.1 | 17.3 | 25.9 | |
| October | 12 | 16.9 | 25.5 | |
| November | 11.4 | 16.1 | 25.6 | |
| December | 11.6 | 15.9 | 25.8 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 18.8 cfs, against 15.6 cfs in February, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 15.9 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 11.3 and 24.4 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06430850 begin in 1988, about 38 years, covering roughly 9,199 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD?
- The gauge sits at 44.3497, -103.93543, in South Dakota, in hydrologic subbasin 10120203, at an elevation of about 5,027 feet, draining roughly 28 square miles.
- Can I use Little Spearfish Creek near Lead, SD data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.