E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon water level

Name: E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, E. Br. Penobscot River, Maine, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.48ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 190 cfs
Water temperature: 49 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon, where the gauge shows 2.48 ft.

It is 6.02 ft below the flood stage of 8.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.48 ft – 2.49 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 49 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 9.60 ftDecember 19, 2023

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 8.50 ft.

What happens at each level

9.50 ft: Similar flooding to December 19th, 2023 with extremely dangerous flows greater than 6800cfs downstream from Grand Lake Matagamon Dam to Spencer Rips. All campsites inundated with 1 to 2 feet of moving water upstream of the Grand Lake Road bridge on the left bank side of the river. Several campsites downstream of Grand Lake Road bridge flooded to the Katahdin Woods and Waters Monument on the right bank side of the river.
8.50 ft: Minor flooding is occuring with extremely dangerous flows greater than 5800cfs from the Grand Lake Matagamon Dam. Campsites on the left bank upstream of the Grand Lake Road bridge will become inaccessible. Campsites begin flooding downstream of the bridge on the right bank. Campsites will be flooding downstream in the Katahdin Woods and Waters Momument land including areas from The Oxbow to Grand Pitch.
7.50 ft: Increasingly dangerous flows being discharged from the Grand Lake Matagamon Dam upstream. Water will begin flooding low lying campsites on the right bank downstream of the Grand Lake Road bridge. Water will be approaching the campsites on the left bank upstream of the Grand Lake Road bridge.
2.48 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.60 ft	December 19, 2023

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 06:59 AM Sunset 05:42 PM Daylight 10 hr, 42 min First quarter 65%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Seboeis River near Shin Pond, MaineRiver gauge, Seboeis River	4.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	8 mi
East Branch Penobscot River at Grindstone, MaineRiver gauge, East Branch Penobscot River	4.59 ft	Very low	−0.09 ft	30 mi
Aroostook River near Masardis, MaineRiver gauge, Aroostook River	2.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	34 mi
Wytopitlock Stream near Wytopitlock MaineRiver gauge, Wytopitlock Stream	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	42 mi
Williams Brook at Phair, MaineRiver gauge, Williams Brook	1.33 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	53 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon?

The official flood stage is 8.50 ft. The level is currently 6.02 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.48 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon?

The highest level on record is 9.60 ft on December 19, 2023.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01029100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.13436, -68.79391 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	2.48 ft	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional
Flow	190 cfs	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional
Water temperature	49 °F	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: E. Br. Penobscot River below Grand Lake Matagamon (usgs:01029100). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maine/e-br-penobscot-river-below-grand-lake-matagamon

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer