Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola water level

Name: Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola 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, Polecat Creek, Virginia, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

2.76ft Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:30 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 20.1 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola is at 2.76 ft, in the normal range for late October.

It has dropped 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.49 ft and 3.14 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 8.75 ftMay 18, 2018

Floating and fishing near Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: River stage sensor operating limit
2.76 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.75 ft	May 18, 2018
2	8.21 ft	May 3, 2014
3	8.05 ft	June 23, 2018
4	7.45 ft	October 12, 2018
5	6.82 ft	May 24, 2016
6	6.54 ft	June 4, 2018
7	6.46 ft	November 16, 2018
8	6.29 ft	March 22, 2019
9	6.11 ft	February 22, 2019
10	5.95 ft	October 10, 2016

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.37 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 71° 43° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 66° 45° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 68° 40° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 63° 46° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 66° 42° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 67° 44° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 70° 45° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mattaponi River near Bowling GreenRiver gauge, Mattaponi River	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	7 mi
North Anna River at Hart Corner near DoswellRiver gauge, North Anna River	64.7 cfs	Normal	−4.7 cfs	9 mi
Little River near DoswellRiver gauge, Little River	13.8 cfs	Normal	−2.1 cfs	11 mi
Mattaponi River near BeulahvilleRiver gauge, Mattaponi River	4.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	11 mi
Pamunkey River near HanoverRiver gauge, Pamunkey River	158 cfs	Normal	−31.0 cfs	13 mi
South Anna River near AshlandRiver gauge, South Anna River	1.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	16 mi
North Anna River near PartlowRiver gauge, North Anna River	35.3 cfs	Very low	−0.9 cfs	20 mi
Po River near SpotsylvaniaRiver gauge, Po River	19.0 cfs	Normal	−4.8 cfs	20 mi

Questions and answers

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 Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:30 AM EDT, the water level was 2.76 ft. Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola rising or falling?

Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola?

The highest level on record is 8.75 ft on May 18, 2018.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01674182 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.96033, -77.34344 (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	2.76 ft	2026-10-21 04:30	Provisional
Flow	20.1 cfs	2026-10-21 04:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Polecat Creek at Route 301 near Penola (usgs:01674182). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/polecat-creek-at-route-301-near-penola

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