Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge water level

Name: Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge 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, Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

9.45ft Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 AM EDT (33 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:23 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge reads 9.45 ft, a normal level.

It is 20.55 ft below the flood stage of 30.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.47 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 9.45 ft and 10.46 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 53.10 ftDecember 8, 1978
Forecast peak: 9.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 30.00 ft, still 20.55 ft away.

What happens at each level

39.00 ft: Dix Drive floods completely. Many homes are flooded. Palisades Road floods. Part of Highway 68 floods.
36.00 ft: Water enters homes along Dix Drive. Brooklyn Road floods.
30.00 ft: Large portion of Dix Drive floods.
26.00 ft: Homes along Dix Drive are cut off.
25.00 ft: Dix Drive begins to flood.
9.45 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	53.10 ft	December 8, 1978
2	52.90 ft	January 1, 1972
3	47.20 ft	April 6, 2025
4	43.69 ft	May 3, 2010
5	42.41 ft	April 16, 1972
6	42.20 ft	January 23, 1937
7	38.68 ft	March 4, 2021
8	38.50 ft	February 16, 1989
9	37.90 ft	March 10, 1994
10	37.90 ft	March 1, 1962

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 73° 41° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 46° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 45° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 73° 47° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 72° 50° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 73° 51° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Kentucky River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kentucky River at Lock 14 at HeidelbergRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	56 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow ShoalsRiver gauge, Kentucky River	771 cfs	Normal	−206.0 cfs	51 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 12 near IrvineRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.62 ft	44 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 11 near College HillRiver gauge, Kentucky River	977 cfs	Normal	−223.0 cfs	34 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 10 near WinchesterRiver gauge, Kentucky River	10.43 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	26 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 9 at Valley ViewRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,130 cfs	Normal	−280.0 cfs	15 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp NelsonRiver gauge, Kentucky River	12.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	9 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 6 near SalvisaRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,770 cfs	Normal	−440.0 cfs	9 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 5 near TyroneRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,720 cfs	Normal	−430.0 cfs	17 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 4 at FrankfortRiver gauge, Kentucky River	7.54 ft	Normal	−0.16 ft	28 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 3 at GestRiver gauge, Kentucky River	10.25 ft	Normal	+1.64 ft	41 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 2 at LockportRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	44 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dix River at Dix Dam near BurginRiver gauge, Dix River	178 cfs	Low	−1.0 cfs	2.7 mi
Herrington Lake near BurginLake, Herrington Lake	733.52 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	3.2 mi
Dix River near DanvilleRiver gauge, Dix River	26.6 cfs	Normal	−2.8 cfs	13 mi
West Hickman Creek at Veterans Park near LexingtonRiver gauge, West Hickman Creek	15.9 cfs	Normal	±0	15 mi
South Elkhorn Creek at Fort SpringRiver gauge, South Elkhorn Creek	2.7 cfs	Normal	−0.9 cfs	16 mi
Wolf Run at Old Frankfort Pike at LexingtonRiver gauge, Wolf Run	7.9 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge?

The official flood stage is 30.00 ft. The level is currently 20.55 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 Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 AM EDT, the water level was 9.45 ft. Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge rising or falling?

Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge?

The highest level on record is 53.10 ft on December 8, 1978.

Is Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03286500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.82924, -84.72384 (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	9.45 ft	2026-10-20 07:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kentucky River at Lock 7 at Highbridge (usgs:03286500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/kentucky-river-at-lock-7-at-highbridge

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