Portinscale water level
River gauge, River Derwent, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Right now
High for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
High water at Portinscale: the latest reading is 0.84 m, above normal for mid-October.
That puts it 0.22 m above the median of 0.61 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.47 m (+0.37 m).
It is still going down, by 0.10 m over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 0.49 m – 1.18 m.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 0.61 m0.22 m above the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.45 m – 0.95 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.31 m – 1.33 m
- Same day last year
- 0.47 m+0.37 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.49 m – 1.18 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.29 m – 1.71 m
- Highest on record
- 4.27 mNovember 19, 2009
- Lowest on record
- 0.23 mSeptember 1, 1995
For anglers and canoeists
A river in spate is no place for beginners. Weirs form strong towbacks, and trees in the water become strainers.
Many angling and canoe clubs check gauges like this one before heading out.
About the River Derwent
The River Derwent is a river which flows between the historic county boundaries of Durham and Northumberland, and in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. It then enters the Derwent Reservoir near Edmundbyers, west of Consett. The River Derwent then flows through the Derwent Gorge, past Allensford, Shotley Bridge, Blackhall Mill, Rowlands Gill, Gibside estate and the Nine Arches Viaduct near Derwenthaugh Country Park. The Derwent is a tributary of the River Tyne, which it joins at Derwenthaugh near Gateshead.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 26 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the River Derwent
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouse BridgeRiver gauge, River Derwent | 1.28 m | High | −0.07 m | 9.8 km |
| Kingfisher, CockermouthRiver gauge, River Derwent | 1.09 m | Normal | −0.07 m | 15 km |
| Seaton Mill, Barepot, WorkingtonRiver gauge, River Derwent | 0.75 m | Normal | −0.04 m | 24 km |
| Eddys BridgeRiver gauge, River Derwent | 0.26 m | Low | ±0 | 83 km |
| Blackhall MillRiver gauge, River Derwent | 0.05 m | Very low | ±0 | 93 km |
| Rowlands GillRiver gauge, River Derwent | 0.13 m | Very low | ±0 | 98 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keswick CampsiteRiver gauge, River Greta | 0.85 m | High | −0.10 m | 0.8 km |
| Greta BridgeRiver gauge, River Greta | 1.19 m | Normal | −0.06 m | 1.1 km |
| LodoreRiver gauge, Derwentwater | 1.26 m | High | −0.11 m | 4.8 km |
| Riddings WoodRiver gauge, River Greta | 1.32 m | Normal | −0.05 m | 6.2 km |
| ThrelkeldRiver gauge, River Glenderamackin | 0.63 m | Normal | −0.06 m | 7.1 km |
| ThirlmereRiver gauge, St Johns Beck | 0.17 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 7.5 km |
| Thirlmere Reservoir (Spillway level = 16.55m)River gauge, Thirlmere Reservoir | 10.94 m | Normal | −0.02 m | 7.5 km |
| Castle HoweRiver gauge, Bassenthwaite Lake | 1.51 m | High | −0.07 m | 8.5 km |
Questions and answers
How does the River Derwent at Portinscale compare with last year?
It is 0.37 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.47 m.
What is a normal level for the River Derwent at Portinscale in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.61 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.45 m and 0.95 m, based on 21 years of records.
Is the river level the same as the depth of the water?
No. The reading is measured from a fixed zero mark at the gauge, so 0.84 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Portinscale today?
On 17 Oct 2026, 23:30 BST, the water level was 0.84 m. Down 0.10 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Portinscale rising or falling?
Down 0.10 m over the last 24 hours. Down 0.21 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Portinscale normal?
High for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Portinscale?
The highest level on record is 4.27 m on November 19, 2009. The lowest is 0.23 m on September 1, 1995.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:751007(Agency page)- Coordinates
54.60456, -3.15954(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- station datum
- Update interval
- every 15 minutes
- Licence
- Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Environment Agency data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 0.84 m | 2026-10-17 22:30 | Provisional |
Download
Embed this gauge
Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.
How to cite
Environment Agency: Portinscale (ea:751007). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/cumbria/portinscale
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