Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine water level

Name: Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Tidal gauge, Penobscot River, Maine, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

-1.40ft Down 3.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT (27 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 6.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:40 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine, where the gauge shows −1.40 ft.

It is 13.00 ft below the flood stage of 11.60 ft.

It is still going down, by 3.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 6.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. The 30-day range is −5.23 ft – 7.41 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 17.90 ftFebruary 2, 1976
Forecast peak: 6.00 ftWednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM

What happens at each level

21.50 ft: Comparable to the FEMA 0.2 percent flood level. State Road in Bangor flooded north of the hospital. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation. Transportation, communications, water and power severely affected.
17.89 ft: Record flooding similar to Groundhogs Day 1976.
17.00 ft: Floodwaters enter riverside businesses West of South Main Street in Brewer.
16.00 ft: Significant flooding in Kenduskeag Plaza in Downeast Bangor. Impacts expanding into multiple commercial buildings in Kenduskeag Plaza with water several feet deep. Front Street near the Bangor Waterfront flooded. Lower industrial sections of Hampden and Brewer flooded with some inundation of storage buildings.
15.00 ft: Widespread flooding throughout the Kenduskeag Plaza, from above State Street to the Washington Street bridge. Bangor and Brewer riverside parks inundated. Basement flooding possible in Kenduskeag Plaza businesses.
14.00 ft: High water levels in the Kenduskeag Plaza channel. Catch basins and stormwater systems begin backing up into Kenduskeag Plaza parking areas and lowest levels of parking garages.
12.00 ft: Bangor Waterfront begins to flood in portions of the riverwalk. Flood control systems and barriers in Kenduskeag Plaza may become stressed.
11.00 ft: High water in low areas surrounding the Kenduskeag Plaza and Bangor Waterfront.
−1.40 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.90 ft	February 2, 1976
2	13.11 ft	January 10, 2024
3	12.10 ft	April 10, 2020
4	11.96 ft	January 13, 2024
5	11.61 ft	January 3, 2014
6	11.59 ft	February 9, 2016
7	11.45 ft	February 19, 2011
8	11.42 ft	January 3, 2018
9	11.32 ft	January 3, 2022
10	10.96 ft	January 2, 2010

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 06:56 AM Sunset 05:45 PM Daylight 10 hr, 49 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Penobscot River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Penobscot River at West Enfield, MaineRiver gauge, Penobscot River	1.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	31 mi
Penobscot River at Eddington, MaineTidal gauge, Penobscot River	2.38 ft	Very low	+0.25 ft	4.1 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kenduskeag Stream near Bangor, MaineRiver gauge, Kenduskeag Stream	3.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	5.5 mi
Piscataquis River at Medford, MaineRiver gauge, Piscataquis River	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.26 ft	32 mi
Black Stream near Dover-Foxcroft, MaineRiver gauge, Black Stream	8.4 cfs	Low	+0.3 cfs	34 mi
Ducktrap River near Lincolnville, MaineRiver gauge, Ducktrap River	0.7 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	35 mi
Sebec River at Sebec, MaineRiver gauge, Sebec River	2.58 ft	Below flood stage	+0.65 ft	37 mi
Piscataquis River near Dover-Foxcroft, MaineRiver gauge, Piscataquis River	2.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	37 mi
Otter Creek near Bar Harbor, MaineRiver gauge, Otter Creek	2.5 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	42 mi
Kingsbury Stream at Abbot Village, MaineRiver gauge, Kingsbury Stream	6.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	43 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine?

The official flood stage is 11.60 ft. The level is currently 13.00 ft below it.

What is the water level of Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT, the water level was −1.40 ft. Down 3.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine rising or falling?

Down 3.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine?

The highest level on record is 17.90 ft on February 2, 1976.

Is Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 6.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM.

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:01037050 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.79639, -68.76778 (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	−1.40 ft	2026-10-19 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Penobscot River at Bangor, Maine (usgs:01037050). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maine/penobscot-river-at-bangor-maine

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