Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at Hyden water level

Name: Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at Hyden 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, Middle Fork Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Latest reading

Water level

4.31ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM EDT (34 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The U.S. Geological Survey has the Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at Hyden at 4.31 ft. The agency publishes no normal range or warning level for this river yet, so there is nothing to judge the number against.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.28 ft – 4.58 ft.

The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 33.30 ftJanuary 29, 1957

Paddling and fishing conditions

Compare today with the chart before you go; local outfitters often know which stage suits their stretch.

What happens at each level

33.29 ft: flooding will exceed highest stage on record
4.31 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	33.30 ft	January 29, 1957
2	26.13 ft	March 12, 1963
3	24.95 ft	June 15, 1989
4	24.36 ft	May 7, 1984
5	20.36 ft	March 7, 1967
6	20.16 ft	April 28, 1970
7	19.88 ft	April 4, 1977
8	18.44 ft	December 2, 1991
9	17.87 ft	November 28, 1973
10	17.34 ft	June 24, 1960

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 68° 39° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 70° 40° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 69° 44° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 43° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 71° 47° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 71° 47° – Wind 3 mph

26 Mon 68° 51° – Wind 3 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Middle Fork Kentucky River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Fork Kentucky River at Hwy28 near BuckhornRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	3.97 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	14 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at TallegaRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	155 cfs	Normal	−13.0 cfs	31 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cutshin Creek at WootonRiver gauge, Cutshin Creek	17.9 cfs	Normal	+1.9 cfs	4.2 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at HazardRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	4.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	13 mi
Buckhorn Lake at BuckhornLake, Buckhorn Lake	782.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	14 mi
Cumberland River near HarlanRiver gauge, Cumberland River	167 cfs	Normal	−11.0 cfs	21 mi
Goose Creek at ManchesterRiver gauge, Goose Creek	10.9 cfs	Normal	−2.3 cfs	21 mi
Martin's Fork near HarlanRiver gauge, Martin's Fork	62.6 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	21 mi
Poor Fork at CumberlandRiver gauge, Poor Fork	3.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	24 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at JacksonRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

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 Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at Hyden today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM EDT, the water level was 4.31 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at Hyden rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at Hyden normal?

The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at Hyden?

The highest level on record is 33.30 ft on January 29, 1957.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03280612 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.14620, -83.38129 (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	4.31 ft	2026-10-20 13:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at Hyden (usgs:03280612). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/middle-fork-kentucky-river-at-highway-2431-at-hyden

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