St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine water level

Name: St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine 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, St. John River, Maine, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.33ft Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2,930 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine is at 4.33 ft, in the normal range.

It is 18.17 ft below the flood stage of 22.50 ft.

It has dropped 0.21 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 3.71 ft and 4.57 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 30.07 ftApril 30, 2008
Forecast peak: 4.30 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 22.50 ft, 18.17 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

29.70 ft: Dike along the Saint John River is overtopped, flooding downtown Fort Kent from Pearl Street to Blockhouse Road to Elm Street. Significant flooding of Residential and Commercial Structures between the Fish River to Market Street along East Main Street.
28.50 ft: Dufour Street is completely impassable flooding the Fort Kent Fire Department. East Main Street is impassable west of Market Street to Aroostook Road. Backwater issues on the Fish River and Perley Brook will threaten structures along Route 161 near Perley Brook.
27.50 ft: Near record flooding. Dike and levee system at full capacity. Flooding of lower east Main Street inundating several structures in the center of town. Fish River Flooding combined with Backwater causes water to flow over the Fish River bridge. Residential structures off Baker Street begin to flood. Athletic fields of the University Campus underwater.
26.50 ft: Widespread flooding of lower East Main Street inundating several structures in the center of town. Water flowing over the top of the Fish River bridge.
25.50 ft: Fish River nears the top of the Main Street Fish River bridge, bridge closed. Homes threatened on Meadow Lane, Blockhouse Road, Dufour Street and Church Street.
24.50 ft: Fish River Backwater begins to flood parking lots to businesses & residences between East Main Street and the Fish River. Flooding in low lying areas along State Route 161 upstream of Fort Kent.
22.50 ft: Lumber Yard near Fort Kent State Historic Site floods. Flood waters encroach on the State Historic Site.
20.00 ft: Lowland flooding between East Main Street, Market Street and the University Campus.
18.00 ft: Water begins to get into the basements of some houses and structures upstream along the Fish River.
16.00 ft: Water inundates agricultural lands between Fort Kent and Upper Frenchville along Route 1.
4.33 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	30.07 ft	April 30, 2008
2	27.31 ft	April 30, 1979
3	26.95 ft	May 1, 1974
4	26.60 ft	April 17, 1994
5	26.33 ft	April 19, 1983
6	25.76 ft	April 30, 1973
7	25.30 ft	May 16, 1961
8	25.11 ft	May 11, 1969
9	25.10 ft	May 5, 1933
10	24.55 ft	April 26, 1958

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 52° 36° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 50° 28° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 50° 32° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 45° 30° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 55° 30° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 60° 34° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 53° 39° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:00 AM Sunset 05:39 PM Daylight 10 hr, 39 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the St. John River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. John River at Ninemile Bridge, MaineRiver gauge, St. John River	1.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	67 mi
St. John River at Dickey, MaineRiver gauge, St. John River	4.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	26 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fish River near Fort Kent, MaineRiver gauge, Fish River	2.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	3.2 mi
Saint John River at EdmundstonRiver gauge, Saint John River	134.61 m	Low	+0.01 m	21 km
Iroquois River at Moulin MorneaultRiver gauge, Iroquois River	3.42 m	Very low	−0.01 m	26 km
St. Francis River at Outlet of Glasier LakeRiver gauge, St. Francis River	0.69 m	Low	+0.01 m	29 km
Allagash River near Allagash, MaineRiver gauge, Allagash River	2.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	28 mi
Grande Riviere at Violette BridgeRiver gauge, Grande Riviere	0.35 m	Normal	−0.05 m	50 km
Aroostook River at Washburn, MaineRiver gauge, Aroostook River	1.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	40 mi
Little Madawaska River at Caribou, MaineRiver gauge, Little Madawaska River	3.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	41 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine?

The official flood stage is 22.50 ft. The level is currently 18.17 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 St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM EDT, the water level was 4.33 ft. Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine rising or falling?

Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine?

The highest level on record is 30.07 ft on April 30, 2008.

Is St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01014000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.28333, -68.58528 (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	4.33 ft	2026-10-20 17:30	Provisional
Flow	2,930 cfs	2026-10-20 17:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: St. John River below Fish R, near Fort Kent, Maine (usgs:01014000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maine/st-john-river-below-fish-r-near-fort-kent-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