Direction and depths of hyporheic exchange fluxes at the groundwater surface water interface are a driver of biogeochemical processes influencing e. g. nutrient supply and water quality. Here, we quantify seasonal and episodic variations of hyporheic exchange fluxes and hyporheic exchange depths with methods of heat tracing. Numerically (FLUX-BOT) and analytically (VFLUX) working program scripts were used to solve the one-dimensional conduction-advection-dispersion equation and compute hyporheic flux rates from vertical sediment water temperature profiles recorded continuously in a small low mountain creek between 2011 and 2017. Based on vertical hydraulic gradients Darcy exchange fluxes were used as a benchmark. Volumetric heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the sediment-water system were identified as the most influential thermal properties for both modelling approaches and thus chosen for a detailed analysis. By comparing the behavior of the two different water temperature-based modelling approaches, dissimilarities in sensitivity to sediment thermal properties and deviating optima for both parameters were found. In general, using the analytical model achieved higher Kling-Gupta-Efficiencies with regard to similarity with the benchmark flux. The differences in parameter responsivity can explain deviating performances of the models under several boundary conditions. We show that the extension of hyporheic exchange depth has a distinctive temporal variability, which is strongly influenced by seasonal effects but also by the chosen model. Furthermore, surface water levels, groundwater levels and stream discharges have a significant effect on flux direction and hyporheic zone extension, whereas model performance for both model types depended on air temperatures as well.