Spicket River near Methuen water level

Name: Spicket River near Methuen 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, Spicket River, New Hampshire, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 AM EDT (58 min ago)

Flow: 80.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Spicket River near Methuen reads 4.22 ft, a normal level.

It is 3.78 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.12 ft and 4.29 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 12.15 ftMay 16, 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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 8.00 ft, still 3.78 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: This is a dangerous, major flood in Salem, Methuen and Lawrence. In Salem, affected areas include Haigh St, Bluff St Ext, Main St, Hampshire Rd, Fiedler Ave, Linwood Ave and Mulberry Rd. In Methuen, affected areas include Horne St, Morrison Ct, Broadway, Gleason St, East River Place, and Pine St. This river inundates numerous roadways and homes in Lawrence within the vicinity of Route 28 and Daisy St, through Erving Ave and Myrtle St. Flooding occurs at the Mary Immaculate Nursing Home.
13.20 ft: This is the maximum reportable stage at the Spicket River gage. In Salem, flooding occurs on Haigh St, Main St, Bluff St Ext, Hampshire Rd, Linwood Ave, Mulberry Rd and Fiedler Ave. In Methuen, affected areas include Horne St, Morrison Ct, Broadway, Gleason St, Pine St, and East River Place. In Lawrence, numerous homes in the general vicinity of Holly St, Park St, Myrtle St and Erving Ave will be inundated. Floodwaters will reach the Mary Immaculate Nursing Home.
12.00 ft: This is a dangerous, major flood in Salem, Methuen and Lawrence. In Salem, flooding occurs on Haigh St, Main St, Bluff St Ext, Hampshire Rd, Linwood Ave, Mulberry Rd and Fiedler Ave. In Methuen, affected areas include Horne St, Morrison Court, Broadway, Gleason St, Pine St, and East River Place. In Lawrence, numerous homes in the general vicinity of Holly St, Park St, Myrtle St and Erving Ave will be innundated. Floodwaters reach the Mary Immaculate Nursing Home.
11.00 ft: In Salem the following locations are affected, Haigh St, Main St, Bluff St Ext, Hampshire Rd, Mulberry Rd, Fiedler Ave and Linwood Ave. In Methuen, floodwaters affect the following locations, Horne St, Pine St, Gleason St, Morrison Court, Broadway, and East River Place. In Lawrence, locations impacted include the general vicinity of Park St to Broadway St, Erving Avenue and some nearby streets. Flooding is also expected further down river on Haverhill St, Access Rd, and Garden St.
10.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs along the Spicket in Salem, Methuen and Lawrence. In Salem the following streets and/or low lying properties along those streets are affected, Haigh and Main St, Bluff St Ext, and Fiedler Ave. In Methuen, floodwaters affect the lowest lying homes and properties on Horne St, Gleason St, Morrison Court and Broadway. In Lawrence flooded areas include but are not limited to, Berving Ave, Spruce St, Saratoga St and Short St. Homes are affected on Myrtle and Willow.
9.00 ft: In Salem, the lower ends of Haigh St, Bluff St Extension and lowest lying properties on Fiedler Ave are impacted. Main St floods by the river. In Methuen, floodwaters affect the following locations, Horne, Pine and Gleason Streets, Morrison Court, Broadway, and East River Place. In Lawrence, floodwaters affect the following locations, Erving Avenue, Spruce, Saratoga, Myrtle and Willow Streets, and Schofield Park.
8.50 ft: In Salem, floodwaters encroach on lowest lying properties on Fiedler Ave. In Methuen, floodwaters encroach near properties on Horne Street, Morrison Court, and Broadway. In Lawrence, the river inundates Schofield Park and spreads onto Saratoga Street. Floodwaters reach onto Willow Street as well as nearby low lying buildings in the vicinity of Willow and Myrtle streets. In addition, floodwaters begin to inundate Spruce Street around the bridge.
8.00 ft: Water backs up behind the Hampshire Road Bridge at the Methuen and Salem line. Floodwaters encroach on lowest lying properties on Fiedler Avenue in Salem. In Lawrence, floodwaters reach onto Willow Street as well as nearby low lying buildings in the vicinity of Willow and Myrtle Streets. Floodwaters begin ponding onto Spruce Street around the bridge. Schofield Park begins to flood, and floodwaters begin to spread onto nearby Saratoga Street.
7.50 ft: Minor flooding of several parking areas along the river is possible as water from the Spicket River backs up into storm drains. Water begins to back up behind the Hampshire Road Bridge at the Methuen and Salem town line. Floodwaters encroach on lowest lying properties on Fiedler Ave in Salem.
4.22 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.15 ft	May 16, 2006
2	9.86 ft	March 16, 2010
3	9.13 ft	April 1, 2010
4	9.07 ft	March 24, 2001
5	9.01 ft	April 18, 2007
6	8.83 ft	April 3, 2004
7	8.53 ft	February 27, 2010
8	8.14 ft	April 1, 2014
9	7.54 ft	May 27, 2005
10	7.52 ft	October 16, 2005

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:04 AM Sunset 05:56 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Spicket River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spicket River at North SalemRiver gauge, Spicket River	82.9 cfs	Very low	+80.6 cfs	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Merrimack River at LawrenceRiver gauge, Merrimack River	10.08 ft	Normal	−0.58 ft	3.9 mi
Shawsheen River at Balmoral Street at AndoverRiver gauge, Shawsheen River	23.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	5.8 mi
Beaver Brook at North PelhamRiver gauge, Beaver Brook	23.4 cfs	Normal	±0	8 mi
Merrimack River below Concord River at LowellRiver gauge, Merrimack River	42.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.31 ft	8 mi
Concord River below R Meadow Brook, at LowellRiver gauge, Concord River	4.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	9 mi
Merrimack River at NashuaRiver gauge, Merrimack River	4.75 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	12 mi
Shawsheen River near WilmingtonRiver gauge, Shawsheen River	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	12 mi
Parker River at ByfieldRiver gauge, Parker River	3.5 cfs	Normal	±0	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Spicket River near Methuen?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 3.78 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 Spicket River near Methuen today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 AM EDT, the water level was 4.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Spicket River near Methuen rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Spicket River near Methuen normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Spicket River near Methuen?

The highest level on record is 12.15 ft on May 16, 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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01100561 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.74315, -71.20839 (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	4.22 ft	2026-10-20 12:15	Provisional
Flow	80.6 cfs	2026-10-20 12:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Spicket River near Methuen (usgs:01100561). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-hampshire/spicket-river-near-methuen

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