North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson water level

Name: North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson 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, North Fork Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.81ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM EDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 382 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:23 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson reads 1.81 ft, a normal level.

It is 27.19 ft below the flood stage of 29.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.81 ft and 2.95 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 43.46 ftJuly 29, 2022
Forecast peak: 1.80 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 29.00 ft, still 27.19 ft away.

What happens at each level

43.46 ft: Flooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Large sections of the downtown Jackson are inundated.
41.30 ft: Many homes and businesses are inundated in downtown Jackson.
40.00 ft: Major flooding. Several homes and businesses are affected in downtown Jackson.
37.00 ft: Traffic stopped on left side of bridge on KY 30 and 52.
31.00 ft: Moderate flooding. Evacuation of homes begins.
29.00 ft: Low lying areas flood. Water begins inundating Wolverine Road just north of the Hays Depot bridge.
25.00 ft: HWY 541 near the Kentucky Mountain Bible College is impassable.
1.81 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: 12 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	43.46 ft	July 29, 2022
2	43.10 ft	February 4, 1939
3	41.97 ft	May 8, 1984
4	41.28 ft	February 2, 1951
5	40.55 ft	February 14, 1948
6	40.41 ft	January 30, 1957
7	39.04 ft	March 2, 2021
8	38.80 ft	January 8, 1946
9	37.99 ft	February 28, 1962
10	37.69 ft	February 17, 2025

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 42° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 69° 44° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 70° 43° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 45° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 70° 43° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 73° 46° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 69° 46° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the North Fork Kentucky River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Fork Kentucky River at WhitesburgRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	43 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at HazardRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	4.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	24 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at BeattyvilleRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	9.67 ft	No reference yet	−0.19 ft	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Fork Kentucky River at TallegaRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	168 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	11 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at Hwy28 near BuckhornRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	3.99 ft	Normal	−0.17 ft	15 mi
Buckhorn Lake at BuckhornLake, Buckhorn Lake	782.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	15 mi
South Fork Kentucky River at BoonevilleRiver gauge, South Fork Kentucky River	3.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	17 mi
Red River near Hazel GreenRiver gauge, Red River	6.1 cfs	Normal	−1.3 cfs	18 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 14 at HeidelbergRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	21 mi
Licking River below Mason Fork near SalyersvilleRiver gauge, Licking River	4.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	22 mi
Sturgeon Creek at CressmontRiver gauge, Sturgeon Creek	5.1 cfs	Normal	−1.7 cfs	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson?

The official flood stage is 29.00 ft. The level is currently 27.19 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 North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM EDT, the water level was 1.81 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson?

The highest level on record is 43.46 ft on July 29, 2022.

Is North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03280000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.55231, -83.38574 (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	1.81 ft	2026-10-19 17:00	Provisional
Flow	382 cfs	2026-10-19 16:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson (usgs:03280000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/north-fork-kentucky-river-at-jackson

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