Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville water level

Name: Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville 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, Licking River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.79ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 22.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville, where the gauge shows 4.79 ft.

It is 12.21 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.79 ft – 5.55 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 23.05 ftMay 31, 2004

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 17.00 ft.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Major flooding occurs.
19.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs.
17.00 ft: Low lying areas flood.
14.00 ft: Water inundates one lane of Kentucky Highway 1090 in a few places near Lakeville.
4.79 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.05 ft	May 31, 2004
2	20.67 ft	May 9, 2009
3	20.43 ft	March 1, 2021
4	19.16 ft	February 16, 2025
5	17.75 ft	February 16, 2003
6	17.52 ft	April 30, 2005
7	17.09 ft	May 2, 2016
8	14.92 ft	May 3, 2002

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 69° 40° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 70° 42° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 44° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 73° 46° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 73° 48° – Wind 4 mph

26 Mon 72° 47° – Wind 4 mph

27 Tue 70° 52° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Licking River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Licking River at FarmersRiver gauge, Licking River	8.68 ft	No reference yet	±0	37 mi
Licking River at Highway 60 at FarmersRiver gauge, Licking River	2.42 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	39 mi
Licking River at Blue Lick SpringsRiver gauge, Licking River	4.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	70 mi
Licking River at McKinneysburgRiver gauge, Licking River	4.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	89 mi
Licking River at CatawbaRiver gauge, Licking River	369 cfs	Normal	−121.0 cfs	96 mi
Licking River at Highway 536 near AlexandriaRiver gauge, Licking River	440 cfs	Low	−102.0 cfs	112 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Levisa Fork at PaintsvilleRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	2.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.68 ft	16 mi
Levisa Fork at PrestonsburgRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	1.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.31 ft	16 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at JacksonRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	22 mi
Red River near Hazel GreenRiver gauge, Red River	4.7 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	22 mi
Blaine Creek near BlaineRiver gauge, Blaine Creek	2.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	24 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at TallegaRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	113 cfs	Normal	−50.0 cfs	32 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at HazardRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	4.41 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	34 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at Hwy28 near BuckhornRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	3.79 ft	Low	−0.17 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 12.21 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 Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT, the water level was 4.79 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.72 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville?

The highest level on record is 23.05 ft on May 31, 2004.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03248300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.73065, -83.05795 (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	4.79 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	22.6 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Licking River below Mason Fork near Salyersville (usgs:03248300). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/licking-river-below-mason-fork-near-salyersville

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