Winooski River at Montpelier water level

Name: Winooski River at Montpelier 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, Winooski River, Vermont, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.41ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 160 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Winooski River at Montpelier, where the gauge shows 3.41 ft.

It is 11.59 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 3.40 ft – 4.31 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 27.10 ftNovember 3, 1927
Forecast peak: 3.40 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft: The Montpelier business district will be covered by water 8 to 10 feet deep. Widespread flooding of the Winooski valley will occur.
22.00 ft: Downtown Montpelier will be inundated, and local roads will be covered by water. Route 2 and railroad tracks along the river will be covered with water. There will be widespread field flooding throughout the Winooski River valley. This stage is equivalent to the FEMA 1 Percent Annual Chance Flood.
17.50 ft: Water covers the streets in downtown Montpelier. Local roads along the Winooski from Montpelier to Waterbury will be covered in water, and there will be widespread field flooding.
16.00 ft: Route 2 will flood at Bailey Avenue bridge, and the entrance to the Montpelier High School. Parking lots behind state office buildings next to the river will flood between Taylor Street and Bailey Avenue, and the approach to Taylor Street bridge will be inundated. Low lying fields and farmland will be inundated.
15.00 ft: Flooding will begin on State Street at the Bailey Avenue bridge. Flooding may occur along Route 302 between Montpelier and Barre. Downstream from Montpelier to Waterbury, low lying local roads and farmland will flood. Water will approach the State of Vermont office complex in Waterbury.
3.41 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	27.10 ft	November 3, 1927
2	21.29 ft	July 11, 2023
3	19.05 ft	August 29, 2011
4	17.59 ft	May 27, 2011
5	17.55 ft	June 30, 1973
6	17.31 ft	April 7, 1912
7	16.60 ft	February 25, 1915
8	16.57 ft	March 18, 1936
9	16.15 ft	December 18, 2023
10	15.70 ft	March 11, 1992

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:00 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Winooski River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Winooski River at Lower CabotRiver gauge, Winooski River	1.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	16 mi
Winooski River near Essex JunctionRiver gauge, Winooski River	2.25 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	31 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Winooski River at WrightsvilleRiver gauge, North Branch Winooski River	40.7 cfs	Normal	−10.6 cfs	3.0 mi
Wrightsville Detention Reservoir @ WrightsvilleReservoir	634.30 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	3.8 mi
Dog River at Northfield FallsRiver gauge, Dog River	0.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	5.6 mi
Mad River near MoretownRiver gauge, Mad River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	8 mi
East Barre Detention Reservoir at East BarreReservoir, East Barre Detention Reservoir	1,135.23 ft	Very high	−0.17 ft	10 mi
Little River near WaterburyRiver gauge, Little River	80.8 cfs	Normal	−17.7 cfs	12 mi
Little River near StoweRiver gauge, Little River	52.5 cfs	Low	−9.6 cfs	14 mi
East Orange Branch at East OrangeRiver gauge, East Orange Branch	3.1 cfs	Low	−0.4 cfs	17 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Winooski River at Montpelier?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.59 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 Winooski River at Montpelier today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT, the water level was 3.41 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Winooski River at Montpelier rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Winooski River at Montpelier normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Winooski River at Montpelier?

The highest level on record is 27.10 ft on November 3, 1927.

Is Winooski River at Montpelier expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04286000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.25673, -72.59344 (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	3.41 ft	2026-10-20 17:45	Provisional
Flow	160 cfs	2026-10-20 17:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Winooski River at Montpelier (usgs:04286000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/vermont/winooski-river-at-montpelier

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