Patoka River near Princeton water level

Name: Patoka River near Princeton 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, Patoka River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.32ft Up 0.34 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 142 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 3.32 ft, the Patoka River near Princeton is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.80 ft, based on 19 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.48 ft below typical. It is 14.68 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.43 ft, a difference of −2.11 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.34 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.74 ft and 4.70 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 19 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.80 ft1.48 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.52 ft – 11.30 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (19 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.43 ft−2.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.74 ft – 4.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.74 ft – 23.91 ft
Highest on record: 24.89 ftMay 4, 2011

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 18.00 ft, still 14.68 ft away.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: At 23 feet, extensive flooding occurs on southern end of Patoka impacting W River Rd, S West Street, and S Wood St. County Road 400 N, east of Patoka is also flooded near the bridge. Extensive flooding occurs mainly west of Wheeling impacting E 375N.
22.00 ft: Flooding affects mainly farmland. Seasonal camping trailers closest to the river become inundated.
3.32 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: 28 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.89 ft	May 4, 2011
2	24.35 ft	May 4, 1996
3	24.30 ft	May 6, 2017
4	24.11 ft	March 25, 2008
5	24.00 ft	March 16, 2006
6	23.97 ft	July 3, 2026
7	23.19 ft	April 11, 2025
8	23.17 ft	May 17, 2002
9	22.79 ft	March 2, 2018
10	22.60 ft	January 11, 2005

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 70° 46° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 74° 49° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 75° 51° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 75° 51° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 77° 49° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 74° 54° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:05 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the Patoka River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Patoka River near CuzcoRiver gauge, Patoka River	5.98 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	45 mi
Patoka River at JasperRiver gauge, Patoka River	9.00 ft	Very high	±0	36 mi
Patoka River at WinslowRiver gauge, Patoka River	9.32 ft	Normal	+1.37 ft	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
White River at HazletonRiver gauge, White River	2.35 ft	Below flood stage	+0.12 ft	7 mi
Pigeon Creek near Fort BranchRiver gauge, Pigeon Creek	1.9 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	10 mi
Wabash River at Mount CarmelRiver gauge, Wabash River	3.97 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	11 mi
White River at PetersburgRiver gauge, White River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.24 ft	16 mi
White River above PetersburgRiver gauge, White River	3.94 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	19 mi
Wabash River at Memorial Bridge at VincennesRiver gauge, Wabash River	4.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	20 mi
Bonpas Creek at BrownsRiver gauge, Bonpas Creek	1.45 ft	Normal	−0.27 ft	23 mi
Embarras River at LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Embarras River	16.69 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Patoka River near Princeton higher than last year?

No, it is 2.11 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.43 ft.

What is flood stage for the Patoka River near Princeton?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 14.68 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Patoka River near Princeton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.80 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.52 ft and 11.30 ft, based on 19 years of records.

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 Patoka River near Princeton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.32 ft. Up 0.34 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Patoka River near Princeton rising or falling?

Up 0.34 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.54 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Patoka River near Princeton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 19 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03376500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.39033, -87.54890 (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	3.32 ft	2026-10-20 08:45	Provisional
Flow	142 cfs	2026-10-20 08:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Patoka River near Princeton (usgs:03376500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/patoka-river-near-princeton

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