Lackawanna River at Old Forge water level

Name: Lackawanna River at Old Forge 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, Lackawanna River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.70ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:45 PM EDT (18 min ago)

Flow: 248 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.50 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:18 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Lackawanna River at Old Forge reads 2.70 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.30 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.50 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.64 ft and 3.26 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 20.05 ftAugust 19, 1955
Forecast peak: 2.70 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

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 11.00 ft, still 8.30 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Many homes and businesses begin to be affected at this level.
13.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Water begins to affect some homes and businesses on both sides of the river
11.00 ft: Minor flooding begins. Some roadways near the river in Old Forge and Moosic begin to be affected.
2.70 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: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.05 ft	August 19, 1955
2	17.00 ft	July 28, 1934
3	16.70 ft	September 18, 2004
4	16.49 ft	September 27, 1985
5	15.58 ft	January 19, 1996
6	15.30 ft	May 23, 1942
7	14.44 ft	August 14, 2018
8	13.50 ft	September 2, 2021
9	13.39 ft	June 27, 2006
10	11.86 ft	March 31, 1940

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.23 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 63° 33° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 66° 40° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 62° 40° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 62° 39° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 60° 42° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 58° 39° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 60° 39° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:20 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Lackawanna River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lackawanna River near Forest CityRiver gauge, Lackawanna River	56.2 cfs	Normal	−14.0 cfs	26 mi
Lackawanna River at ArchbaldRiver gauge, Lackawanna River	2.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lackawanna R below Leggetts Creek at ScrantonRiver gauge, Lackawanna R	1.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Susquehanna River at Wilkes-BarreRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	1.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Tunkhannock Creek near TunkhannockRiver gauge, Tunkhannock Creek	1.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	16 mi
Aylesworth Creek Lake at JermynLake, Aylesworth Creek Lake	1,108.06 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Lehigh River at StoddartsvilleRiver gauge, Lehigh River	161 cfs	Normal	−21.0 cfs	17 mi
Francis E. Walter Reservoir near White HavenReservoir, Francis E. Walter Reservoir	1,305.30 ft	Normal	−1.85 ft	17 mi
Lehigh R below Francis E Walter Reservoir near White Haven PARiver gauge, Lehigh R	4.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	18 mi
Tobyhanna Creek near BlakesleeRiver gauge, Tobyhanna Creek	149 cfs	Normal	−34.0 cfs	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Lackawanna River at Old Forge?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 8.30 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 Lackawanna River at Old Forge today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.70 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lackawanna River at Old Forge rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lackawanna River at Old Forge normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lackawanna River at Old Forge?

The highest level on record is 20.05 ft on August 19, 1955.

Is Lackawanna River at Old Forge expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.50 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01536000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.35925, -75.74436 (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	2.70 ft	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional
Flow	248 cfs	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lackawanna River at Old Forge (usgs:01536000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/lackawanna-river-at-old-forge

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