Fiddlers Ferry water level
River gauge, River Mersey, Cheshire, United Kingdom
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
Low water at Fiddlers Ferry: the gauge reads 2.30 m, far below normal for mid-October.
That puts it 1.36 m below the median of 3.66 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 2.74 m (−0.44 m). The lowest reading on record is 2.00 m (April 13, 2007).
It is still going down, by 0.22 m over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 2.29 m – 3.12 m.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 3.66 m1.36 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 2.93 m – 4.32 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 2.61 m – 6.20 m
- Same day last year
- 2.74 m−0.44 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 2.29 m – 3.12 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 2.35 m – 4.38 m
- Highest on record
- 7.37 mDecember 5, 2013
- Lowest on record
- 2.00 mApril 13, 2007
For anglers and canoeists
Low rivers are hard going for paddlers, with exposed gravel and weirs that are awkward to shoot. Salmon and sea trout usually wait for the next spate to run.
Many angling and canoe clubs check gauges like this one before heading out.
About the River Mersey
The River Mersey is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part of the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 7.2 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the River Mersey
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WestyRiver gauge, River Mersey | 3.74 m | Low | −0.20 m | 6.4 km |
| Flixton BridgeRiver gauge, River Mersey | 0.39 m | Normal | −0.07 m | 19 km |
| Ashton WeirRiver gauge, River Mersey | 0.43 m | Normal | −0.08 m | 22 km |
| NorthendenRiver gauge, River Mersey | 0.31 m | Low | −0.05 m | 27 km |
| Didsbury RiverRiver gauge, River Mersey | 2.76 m | Very low | −0.15 m | 28 km |
| BrinkswayRiver gauge, River Mersey | 0.56 m | Normal | −0.05 m | 32 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool RoadRiver gauge, Sankey Brook | 1.51 m | Normal | −0.10 m | 2.2 km |
| Higham AvenueRiver gauge, Sankey Brook | 0.43 m | Normal | −0.14 m | 4.7 km |
| Causey BridgeRiver gauge, Sankey Brook | 0.30 m | Normal | −0.08 m | 6.1 km |
| Ellamsbridge Road, St HelensRiver gauge, Sutton Mill Brook | 0.09 m | Low | −0.08 m | 7.8 km |
| Ferry Lane, WarringtonRiver gauge, Manchester ship canal | 0.30 m | Normal | −0.20 m | 8.4 km |
| Pickerings CutRiver gauge, River Weaver | 4.82 m | Normal | −0.02 m | 10 km |
| Acton BridgeRiver gauge, River Weaver | 2.66 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 11 km |
| Winster DriveRiver gauge, Netherley Brook | 0.50 m | Normal | −0.11 m | 11 km |
Questions and answers
How does the River Mersey at Fiddlers Ferry compare with last year?
It is 0.44 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.74 m.
What is a normal level for the River Mersey at Fiddlers Ferry in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 3.66 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.93 m and 4.32 m, based on 21 years of records.
Is the river level the same as the depth of the water?
No. The reading is measured from a fixed zero mark at the gauge, so 2.30 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Fiddlers Ferry today?
On 17 Oct 2026, 22:30 BST, the water level was 2.30 m. Down 0.22 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Fiddlers Ferry rising or falling?
Down 0.22 m over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Fiddlers Ferry normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Fiddlers Ferry?
The highest level on record is 7.37 m on December 5, 2013. The lowest is 2.00 m on April 13, 2007.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:694063(Agency page)- Coordinates
53.37418, -2.65351(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- station datum
- Update interval
- every 15 minutes
- Licence
- Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Environment Agency data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 2.30 m | 2026-10-17 21:30 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Fiddlers Ferry (ea:694063). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/cheshire/fiddlers-ferry
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