Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower) water level

Name: Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower) 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, Ohio River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

14.05ft Down 0.66 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM EDT (28 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 14.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:56 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower), where the gauge shows 14.05 ft.

It is 22.95 ft below the flood stage of 37.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.66 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 14.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. The 30-day range is 13.62 ft – 16.01 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 47.70 ftMarch 11, 1964
Forecast peak: 14.20 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 37.00 ft.

What happens at each level

45.00 ft: Lock walls overtopped.
39.00 ft: The well house and pump are flooded at the Fairway River Links Golf Course in Rayland Ohio.
38.00 ft: Navigation suspended, lock out of service.
37.00 ft: Low lying areas of Wheeling Island begin to flood.
34.00 ft: Or 13.0 feet on the upper gage, water begins to flood golf course near Tiltonsville.
22.00 ft: Water reaches the fishing pier on right downstream bank
14.05 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: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	47.70 ft	March 11, 1964
2	47.50 ft	June 25, 1972
3	46.30 ft	September 19, 2004
4	46.00 ft	January 21, 1996
5	43.04 ft	January 7, 2005
6	42.21 ft	April 4, 2024
7	40.90 ft	February 15, 1966
8	39.79 ft	February 18, 2018
9	39.34 ft	September 11, 2018
10	39.30 ft	January 1, 1991

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:37 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ EmsworthRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.52 ft	Low	−0.32 ft	41 mi
Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Lower Pool @ EmsworthRiver gauge, Ohio River	15.18 ft	High	−0.47 ft	41 mi
Ohio River at SewickleyRiver gauge, Ohio River	14.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	38 mi
Ohio River at Montgomery Lock & Dam, Lower PoolRiver gauge, Ohio River	13.23 ft	High	±0	38 mi
Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	12.62 ft	No reference yet	+0.08 ft	26 mi
Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower)River gauge, Ohio River	14.29 ft	Below flood stage	+0.59 ft	26 mi
Ohio River at Pike Island Dam near Wheeling (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	13.29 ft	No reference yet	+0.84 ft	0.2 mi
Ohio River at WheelingRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.34 ft	7 mi
Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	12.93 ft	No reference yet	−0.08 ft	34 mi
Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam (Lower)River gauge, Ohio River	12.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.73 ft	34 mi
Ohio River above SardisRiver gauge, Ohio River	3,810 cfs	Very low	−20,890.0 cfs	37 mi
Ohio River at MariettaRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	65 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Short Creek near Dillonvale OHRiver gauge, Short Creek	1.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	3.5 mi
Wheeling Creek at Elm GroveRiver gauge, Wheeling Creek	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	8 mi
Wheeling Creek below Blaine OHRiver gauge, Wheeling Creek	1.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Kings Creek at WeirtonRiver gauge, Kings Creek	41.7 cfs	High	−8.2 cfs	21 mi
Captina Creek at S.R. 148 at Armstrongs Mills OHRiver gauge, Captina Creek	47.9 cfs	Normal	−3.2 cfs	21 mi
Stillwater Creek above Piedmont Lake OHRiver gauge, Stillwater Creek	1.47 ft	High	−0.03 ft	23 mi
Standingstone Fork above Tappan Lake OHRiver gauge, Standingstone Fork	4.62 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	25 mi
Clear Fork above Tappan Lake OHRiver gauge, Clear Fork	1.13 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower)?

The official flood stage is 37.00 ft. The level is currently 22.95 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 Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower) today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM EDT, the water level was 14.05 ft. Down 0.66 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower) rising or falling?

Down 0.66 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower) normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower)?

The highest level on record is 47.70 ft on March 11, 1964.

Is Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower) expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 14.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03111520 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.14979, -80.70147 (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	14.05 ft	2026-10-20 12:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower) (usgs:03111520). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/ohio-river-at-pike-island-lock-and-dam-lower

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