Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre water level

Name: Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre 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, Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.53ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 4,620 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:40 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre, where the gauge shows 1.53 ft.

It is 20.47 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 PM. The 30-day range is 1.53 ft – 1.72 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 42.66 ftSeptember 9, 2011
Forecast peak: 1.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 22.00 ft.

What happens at each level

48.10 ft: Height of the instrument shelf. Inundation at this point will stop gauge from operating.
42.66 ft: Record flood stage of September 9, 2011. Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee.
41.00 ft: Maximum effective design of levee protection for the city of Wilkes-Barre. Levee height above this level may not provide protection.
40.90 ft: Flood stage from Hurricane Agnes, June 24, 1972.
36.00 ft: Nescopeck borough begins to flood.
35.00 ft: Dundee area in Hanover Township begins to flood. US Route 11 in Edwardsville floods.
33.00 ft: Mocanaqua begins to flood.
32.00 ft: Main Street in Shickshinny floods.
31.00 ft: Hollenback Park in Wilkes-Barre, Duryea and West Pittston are affected. The Brookside area begins to flood.
30.00 ft: Major flooding begins. US Route 11 in Avondale is covered by flood water. Main Street in Shickshinny begins to flood. Flooding begins to affect areas of Wilkes-Barre upstream of North Street bridge, including the Court House.
29.00 ft: US Route 11 in Shickshinny is closed. River Road in Port Blanchard and West Pittston begin to flood. PP&L Riverlands facilities begin to flood.
28.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. US Route 11 in West Nanticoke is closed. Canal Street in West Nanticoke begins to flood.
1.53 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: 14 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	42.66 ft	September 9, 2011
2	40.91 ft	June 24, 1972
3	35.06 ft	September 27, 1975
4	34.96 ft	September 19, 2004
5	34.45 ft	January 20, 1996
6	34.14 ft	June 28, 2006
7	33.10 ft	March 18, 1865
8	33.07 ft	March 20, 1936
9	32.01 ft	May 29, 1946
10	31.53 ft	April 1, 1940

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 70° 39° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 64° 40° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 61° 38° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 58° 39° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 59° 37° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 61° 39° – Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 66° 42° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on the Susquehanna River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Susquehanna River at WindsorRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	58 mi
Susquehanna River at ConklinRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	54 mi
Susquehanna River at BinghamtonRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	2.65 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	58 mi
Susquehanna River at VestalRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	59 mi
Susquehanna River at OwegoRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	14.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	62 mi
Susquehanna River near WaverlyRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	1.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	60 mi
Susquehanna River at TowandaRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	0.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	46 mi
Susquehanna River at MeshoppenRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	8.34 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	26 mi
Susquehanna River at BloomsburgRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	1.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	34 mi
Susquehanna River at DanvilleRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	43 mi
Susquehanna River above Dam at SunburyRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	3.04 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	55 mi
Susquehanna River at SunburyRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	7.61 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	57 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lackawanna River at Old ForgeRiver gauge, Lackawanna River	2.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	10 mi
Francis E. Walter Reservoir near White HavenReservoir, Francis E. Walter Reservoir	1,303.86 ft	Normal	−1.17 ft	13 mi
Lehigh R below Francis E Walter Reservoir near White Haven PARiver gauge, Lehigh R	3.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	13 mi
Lehigh River at StoddartsvilleRiver gauge, Lehigh River	164 cfs	Normal	+5.0 cfs	16 mi
Wapwallopen Creek near WapwallopenRiver gauge, Wapwallopen Creek	33.5 cfs	Normal	−3.0 cfs	17 mi
L Nescopeck Creek Tributary near FreelandRiver gauge, L Nescopeck Creek Tributary	51.9 cfs	Low	−2.6 cfs	18 mi
Lackawanna R below Leggetts Creek at ScrantonRiver gauge, Lackawanna R	1.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	18 mi
Tobyhanna Creek near BlakesleeRiver gauge, Tobyhanna Creek	133 cfs	Normal	−12.0 cfs	18 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 20.47 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 Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.53 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre?

The highest level on record is 42.66 ft on September 9, 2011.

Is Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01536500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.25091, -75.88075 (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	1.53 ft	2026-10-21 00:45	Provisional
Flow	4,620 cfs	2026-10-21 00:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre (usgs:01536500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/susquehanna-river-at-wilkes-barre

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