South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring water level

Name: South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring 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, South Elkhorn Creek, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.72ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:25 PM EDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 2.7 cfs
Water temperature: 56 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring reads 2.72 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.72 ft and 2.92 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 56 °F.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 12.92 ftSeptember 23, 2006

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.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.92 ft	September 23, 2006
2	11.23 ft	April 4, 2008
3	11.21 ft	May 2, 2010
4	11.17 ft	May 31, 2004
5	10.51 ft	May 9, 2003
6	9.62 ft	June 23, 2017
7	9.50 ft	February 15, 1989
8	9.48 ft	August 10, 2014
9	9.32 ft	June 19, 1992
10	9.15 ft	June 23, 1960

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 40° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 72° 43° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 71° 42° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 71° 44° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 72° 46° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 74° 49° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 71° 49° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on South Elkhorn Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Elkhorn Creek near MidwayRiver gauge, South Elkhorn Creek	58.6 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wolf Run at Old Frankfort Pike at LexingtonRiver gauge, Wolf Run	7.9 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	4.2 mi
Town Branch at Yarnallton Road at YarnalltonRiver gauge, Town Branch	41.1 cfs	Normal	−2.8 cfs	4.7 mi
Cane Run Creek at Citation Blvd near LexingtonRiver gauge, Cane Run Creek	0.2 cfs	Low	±0	8 mi
West Hickman Creek at Veterans Park near LexingtonRiver gauge, West Hickman Creek	16.9 cfs	Normal	−0.9 cfs	9 mi
Tributary to Cane Run Creek at Newtown Park near LexingtonRiver gauge, Tributary to Cane Run Creek	0.5 cfs	Normal	±0	9 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 5 near TyroneRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,350 cfs	Normal	−540.0 cfs	11 mi
North Elkhorn Creek at Winchester Road near LexingtonRiver gauge, North Elkhorn Creek	3.4 cfs	Normal	+3.0 cfs	12 mi
North Elkhorn Creek at Bryan Station Road at MontroseRiver gauge, North Elkhorn Creek	1.0 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	12 mi

Questions and answers

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 South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:25 PM EDT, the water level was 2.72 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring?

The highest level on record is 12.92 ft on September 23, 2006.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03289000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.04313, -84.62633 (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	2.72 ft	2026-10-20 22:25	Provisional
Flow	2.7 cfs	2026-10-20 22:25	Provisional
Water temperature	56 °F	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/6633?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring (usgs:03289000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/south-elkhorn-creek-at-fort-spring

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