Saranac River at Plattsburgh water level

Name: Saranac River at Plattsburgh 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, Saranac River, New York, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.61ft Up 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:30 AM EDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 1,410 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.30 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 11:33 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Saranac River at Plattsburgh, where the gauge shows 4.61 ft.

It is 4.39 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.22 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.30 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. There is still 4.39 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 4.07 ft – 4.61 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 12.11 ftNovember 9, 1996
Forecast peak: 4.50 ftSunday, October 18 at 02:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 9.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Water levels equal the November 1996 flooding. Underwood Trailer Park is protected by the levee, but it should be monitored for weakening. Flooding of lowlands occurs in Morrisonville east of Mason Street.
9.00 ft: Underwood Trailer Park protected by levee if drain plugs are in. Levee should be monitored for weakening.
8.00 ft: The Saranac River is at bankfull. The river is near the drainage holes in the levee at Underwood Trailer Park. No damage at this stage, but plugs should be placed in levee at Underwood Trailer Park to prevent water from entering.
4.61 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	12.11 ft	November 9, 1996
2	10.90 ft	May 12, 1943
3	10.73 ft	April 1, 1998
4	10.08 ft	December 30, 1984
5	9.72 ft	April 18, 1982
6	9.57 ft	June 3, 1947
7	9.53 ft	April 28, 2011
8	9.49 ft	June 12, 2013
9	9.45 ft	March 29, 1989
10	9.39 ft	April 2, 1973

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min First quarter 47%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salmon River at South PlattsburghRiver gauge, Salmon River	38.2 cfs	Normal	−18.6 cfs	3.1 mi
Little Ausable River near ValcourRiver gauge, Little Ausable River	33.9 cfs	Normal	−5.6 cfs	6.2 mi
Little Chazy River near ChazyRiver gauge, Little Chazy River	70.4 cfs	Normal	−17.4 cfs	15 mi
Mill River at Georgia Shore Road, near St AlbansRiver gauge, Mill River	10.3 cfs	Normal	−12.9 cfs	17 mi
Ausable River near Au Sable ForksRiver gauge, Ausable River	941 cfs	High	−779.0 cfs	18 mi
Lake Champlain at BurlingtonLake, Lake Champlain	93.56 ft	Low	+0.04 ft	19 mi
Lamoille River at East GeorgiaRiver gauge, Lamoille River	1,050 cfs	Normal	+20.0 cfs	20 mi
East Branch Ausable River at Au Sable ForksRiver gauge, East Branch Ausable River	2.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.61 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Saranac River at Plattsburgh?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 4.39 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 Saranac River at Plattsburgh today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:30 AM EDT, the water level was 4.61 ft. Up 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Saranac River at Plattsburgh rising or falling?

Up 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Saranac River at Plattsburgh normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Saranac River at Plattsburgh?

The highest level on record is 12.11 ft on November 9, 1996.

Is Saranac River at Plattsburgh expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.30 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04273500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.68172, -73.47097 (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	4.61 ft	2026-10-18 07:30	Provisional
Flow	1,410 cfs	2026-10-18 07:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Saranac River at Plattsburgh (usgs:04273500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/saranac-river-at-plattsburgh

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