Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson water level

Name: Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson 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, Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

12.25ft Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:15 PM EDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 1,170 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.70 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:29 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson, where the gauge shows 12.25 ft.

It is 17.75 ft below the flood stage of 30.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.25 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.70 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM. The 30-day range is 12.25 ft – 13.28 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 47.04 ftApril 6, 2025
Forecast peak: 12.20 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 30.00 ft.

What happens at each level

38.00 ft: Portions of Camp Nelson Road and Hopkins Lane near the river flood.
37.00 ft: Camp Nelson RV Park is flooded.
36.00 ft: Camp Nelson RV Park begins to flood. Portions of River Road and Buckeye Road flood.
34.00 ft: Camp Nelson RV Park evacuations begin.
28.00 ft: Sugar Creek Pike floods.
25.00 ft: Camp Nelson RV Park high water notifications begin.
12.25 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	47.04 ft	April 6, 2025
2	46.02 ft	May 3, 2010
3	42.92 ft	March 4, 2021
4	41.30 ft	March 2, 1962
5	41.20 ft	January 23, 1937
6	40.00 ft	March 28, 1913
7	38.60 ft	December 20, 1915
8	38.60 ft	February 6, 1939
9	38.52 ft	February 2, 1957
10	38.44 ft	February 19, 2003

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 72° 39° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 74° 41° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 45° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 73° 44° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 74° 47° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 73° 49° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 74° 53° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:52 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Kentucky River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kentucky River at Lock 14 at HeidelbergRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	47 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow ShoalsRiver gauge, Kentucky River	715 cfs	Normal	−173.0 cfs	42 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 12 near IrvineRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.88 ft	Below flood stage	±0	35 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 11 near College HillRiver gauge, Kentucky River	644 cfs	Normal	−476.0 cfs	27 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 10 near WinchesterRiver gauge, Kentucky River	10.23 ft	Normal	−0.32 ft	21 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 9 at Valley ViewRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,010 cfs	Normal	−280.0 cfs	10 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 7 at HighbridgeRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	9 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 6 near SalvisaRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,240 cfs	Normal	−790.0 cfs	18 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 5 near TyroneRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,580 cfs	Normal	−370.0 cfs	25 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 4 at FrankfortRiver gauge, Kentucky River	7.48 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	36 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 3 at GestRiver gauge, Kentucky River	8.26 ft	Very low	−0.26 ft	49 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 2 at LockportRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	52 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Herrington Lake near BurginLake, Herrington Lake	733.42 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	7 mi
Dix River at Dix Dam near BurginRiver gauge, Dix River	178 cfs	Low	±0	7 mi
Dix River near DanvilleRiver gauge, Dix River	25.4 cfs	Normal	−2.9 cfs	8 mi
West Hickman Creek at Veterans Park near LexingtonRiver gauge, West Hickman Creek	15.9 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	15 mi
East Hickman Creek Tributary at Chilesburg Road near LexingtonRiver gauge, East Hickman Creek Tributary	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	19 mi
South Elkhorn Creek at Fort SpringRiver gauge, South Elkhorn Creek	2.7 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson?

The official flood stage is 30.00 ft. The level is currently 17.75 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 Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:15 PM EDT, the water level was 12.25 ft. Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson rising or falling?

Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson?

The highest level on record is 47.04 ft on April 6, 2025.

Is Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.70 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03284500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.74536, -84.58661 (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	12.25 ft	2026-10-20 18:15	Provisional
Flow	1,170 cfs	2026-10-20 18:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/9303?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp Nelson (usgs:03284500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/kentucky-river-at-lock-8-near-camp-nelson

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