South Fork Cumberland River near Stearns water level

Name: South Fork Cumberland River near Stearns 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 Fork Cumberland River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.29ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 60.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at South Fork Cumberland River near Stearns: the gauge reads 1.29 ft, below normal for mid-October.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.29 ft – 1.65 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 52.90 ftMarch 1, 1929

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

What happens at each level

46.29 ft: flooding will exceed highest stage on record
1.29 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	52.90 ft	March 1, 1929
2	46.29 ft	May 28, 1973
3	44.15 ft	March 13, 1975
4	44.00 ft	December 30, 1969
5	40.52 ft	April 5, 1977
6	40.12 ft	December 23, 1990
7	38.50 ft	February 13, 1948
8	37.90 ft	January 8, 1946
9	37.86 ft	February 11, 1994
10	37.81 ft	September 2, 1982

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 72° 40° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 41° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 46° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 74° 45° – Wind 4 mph

24 Sat 74° 49° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 73° 49° – Wind 3 mph

26 Mon 73° 52° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the South Fork Cumberland River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Cumberland River at Leatherwood FordRiver gauge, South Fork Cumberland River	56.1 cfs	Low	−8.5 cfs	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
New River at New RiverRiver gauge, New River	18.9 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	17 mi
Clear Fork near RobbinsRiver gauge, Clear Fork	11.8 cfs	Low	−1.2 cfs	17 mi
Cumberland River at Cumberland FallsRiver gauge, Cumberland River	256 cfs	Normal	−18.0 cfs	18 mi
Cumberland River at WilliamsburgRiver gauge, Cumberland River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	22 mi
Beaver Creek near MonticelloRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	3.3 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	23 mi
Clear Fork at SaxtonRiver gauge, Clear Fork	32.6 cfs	Low	−1.2 cfs	23 mi
Wolf River near ByrdstownRiver gauge, Wolf River	17.5 cfs	Normal	+2.5 cfs	30 mi
Lynn Camp Creek at CorbinRiver gauge, Lynn Camp Creek	3.9 cfs	Low	±0	33 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 Fork Cumberland River near Stearns today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.29 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Cumberland River near Stearns rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Fork Cumberland River near Stearns normal?

Low 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 Fork Cumberland River near Stearns?

The highest level on record is 52.90 ft on March 1, 1929.

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:03410500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.62702, -84.53327 (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	1.29 ft	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional
Flow	60.2 cfs	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Cumberland River near Stearns (usgs:03410500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/south-fork-cumberland-river-near-stearns

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