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Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest water level

River gauge, Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

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Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

10.35ft Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
2,600 cfs
25 50 Highest onrecord 60.50 ft

History

History
8101214ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 198101214ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
101315ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19101315ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
10203040ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202610203040ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
10203040ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202610203040ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest is at 10.35 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 9.86 ft, based on 13 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.49 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 9.45 ft, a difference of +0.90 ft.

It has dropped 0.18 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 7.78 ft and 10.66 ft.

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

Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
9.86 ft0.49 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
9.16 ft – 14.08 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (13 years of records)
Same day last year
9.45 ft+0.90 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
7.78 ft – 10.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
9.30 ft – 21.15 ft
Highest on record
60.50 ftJanuary 1, 1937

Floating and fishing near Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
160.50 ftJanuary 1, 1937
259.50 ftMarch 1, 1997
359.44 ftApril 7, 2025
456.50 ftJanuary 1, 1978
551.84 ftMay 1, 2010
650.71 ftFebruary 18, 2025
750.66 ftMarch 5, 2021

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.37 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 66° 36° – Wind 8 mph
19 Mon 73° 42° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 72° 45° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 72° 45° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 72° 45° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 73° 45° – Wind 7 mph
24 Sat 76° 47° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Kentucky River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow ShoalsRiver gauge, Kentucky River 888 cfs Normal −232.0 cfs 80 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 12 near IrvineRiver gauge, Kentucky River 9.84 ft Below flood stage −0.60 ft 72 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 11 near College HillRiver gauge, Kentucky River 1,100 cfs Normal −290.0 cfs 61 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 10 near WinchesterRiver gauge, Kentucky River 10.51 ft Normal −0.32 ft 49 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 9 at Valley ViewRiver gauge, Kentucky River 1,270 cfs Normal −410.0 cfs 46 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp NelsonRiver gauge, Kentucky River 12.48 ft Below flood stage −0.35 ft 49 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 7 at HighbridgeRiver gauge, Kentucky River 9.67 ft Below flood stage −0.42 ft 41 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 6 near SalvisaRiver gauge, Kentucky River 1,980 cfs Normal −430.0 cfs 34 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 5 near TyroneRiver gauge, Kentucky River 1,920 cfs Normal −400.0 cfs 25 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 4 at FrankfortRiver gauge, Kentucky River 7.62 ft Normal −0.14 ft 14 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 2 at LockportRiver gauge, Kentucky River 9.55 ft Below flood stage −0.20 ft 4.7 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 1 near CarrolltonRiver gauge, Kentucky River 9.83 ft High −0.17 ft 22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Elkhorn Creek near FrankfortRiver gauge, Elkhorn Creek 2.43 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 11 mi
Eagle Creek at SadievilleRiver gauge, Eagle Creek 0.2 cfs Normal ±0 18 mi
Eagle Creek at GlencoeRiver gauge, Eagle Creek 1.25 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 20 mi
North Elkhorn Creek at GeorgetownRiver gauge, North Elkhorn Creek 39.6 cfs Normal −16.2 cfs 22 mi
Royal Springs at GeorgetownRiver gauge, Royal Springs 0.5 cfs Low −0.7 cfs 22 mi
South Elkhorn Creek near MidwayRiver gauge, South Elkhorn Creek 64.6 cfs Normal −3.1 cfs 23 mi
Ohio River at Markland Dam near WarsawRiver gauge, Ohio River 18.85 ft High +0.14 ft 25 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.90 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9.45 ft.

What is a normal level for the Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 9.86 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9.16 ft and 14.08 ft, based on 13 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 Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 PM EDT, the water level was 10.35 ft. Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest rising or falling?

Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.89 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest?

The highest level on record is 60.50 ft on January 1, 1937.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:03290080 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.41674, -84.88078 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 10.35 ft 2026-10-19 20:30 Provisional
Flow 2,600 cfs 2026-10-19 20:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kentucky River at Lock 3 at Gest (usgs:03290080). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/kentucky-river-at-lock-3-at-gest

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.