Winooski River near Essex Junction water level

Name: Winooski River near Essex Junction 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

2.04ft Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 434 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Winooski River near Essex Junction, where the gauge shows 2.04 ft.

It is 9.96 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.21 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. The 30-day range is 1.98 ft – 3.33 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 51.40 ftNovember 4, 1927
Forecast peak: 2.20 ftWednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Flooding will be widespread along the Winooski river from Jonesville to Lake Champlain. Water will cover Route 2 from Bolton to Williston, and Route 117 from Richmond to Essex. Bridge Street in Richmond, North Williston Road in Williston and Essex, Poor Farm Road in South Burlington and Williston floods. The Burlington Intervale will be inundated.
18.00 ft: Flooding will be widespread along the Winooski River from Jonesville to the rivers mouth at Lake Champlain. Water will cover Bridge Street in Richmond, North Williston Road in Williston and Essex, Poor Farm Road in South Burlington and Williston. The Burlington Intervale will be inundated.
16.00 ft: Low lying roads along the Winooski will flood, including Bridge Street in Richmond, North Williston Road in Essex, Poor Farm Road near the South Burlington and Essex town line, and Pine Island Road in Colchester. The Burlington Intervale will be inundated, and there will be widespread field flooding from Jonesville to Lake Champlain.
15.00 ft: Flooding will occur on North Williston Road in Essex, Bridge Street and Volunteer Green in Richmond, and low lying roads in Jonesville. Water will inundate low lying fields along the Winooski from Jonesville to Burlington.
14.00 ft: Flooding will occur on North Williston Road in Essex and Pine Island Road in Colchester. Water will approach Bridge Street and Volunteer Green in Richmond, and low lying roads in Jonesville. Low lying farmland in the Burlington Intervale will flood, as well as farmland along the Winooski from Bolton through Burlington.
13.00 ft: Water will cover North Williston Road in Essex and Pine Island Road in Colchester. Low lying farmland in the Burlington Intervale will flood.
12.50 ft: North Williston Road in Essex will begin to flood, and motorists should seek an alternate route. Water will flood farmland in the Burlington Intervale.
12.00 ft: Farms in the Burlington Intervale begin to flood. Water will flood fields adjacent to North Williston Road in Essex and will approach North Williston Road.
2.04 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: 11 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	51.40 ft	November 4, 1927
2	24.54 ft	March 19, 1936
3	23.28 ft	July 11, 2023
4	22.19 ft	August 29, 2011
5	22.17 ft	February 21, 1981
6	21.52 ft	December 19, 2023
7	20.48 ft	July 11, 2024
8	19.06 ft	March 14, 1977
9	18.72 ft	September 22, 1938
10	18.60 ft	April 19, 1933

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:00 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Winooski River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Winooski River at Lower CabotRiver gauge, Winooski River	1.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	40 mi
Winooski River at MontpelierRiver gauge, Winooski River	3.51 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	31 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Champlain at BurlingtonLake, Lake Champlain	93.57 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	4.1 mi
Laplatte River at Shelburne FallsRiver gauge, Laplatte River	4.8 cfs	Low	−1.0 cfs	8 mi
Lamoille River at East GeorgiaRiver gauge, Lamoille River	389 cfs	Low	−88.0 cfs	14 mi
Boquet River at WillsboroRiver gauge, Boquet River	2.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	15 mi
Lewis Creek at North FerrisburgRiver gauge, Lewis Creek	23.1 cfs	Low	−5.1 cfs	16 mi
Ranch Brook at Ranch Camp, near StoweRiver gauge, Ranch Brook	4.0 cfs	Low	−0.8 cfs	18 mi
West Branch Little River above Bingham Falls near StoweRiver gauge, West Branch Little River	5.5 cfs	Very low	−1.9 cfs	18 mi
Lamoille River at JeffersonvilleRiver gauge, Lamoille River	441.88 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Winooski River near Essex Junction?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 9.96 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 near Essex Junction today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT, the water level was 2.04 ft. Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Winooski River near Essex Junction rising or falling?

Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.63 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Winooski River near Essex Junction normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Winooski River near Essex Junction?

The highest level on record is 51.40 ft on November 4, 1927.

Is Winooski River near Essex Junction expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04290500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.47894, -73.13874 (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	2.04 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	434 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/13287?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Winooski River near Essex Junction water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Winooski River near Essex Junction (usgs:04290500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/vermont/winooski-river-near-essex-junction

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