Middle Fork Kentucky River at Tallega water level

Name: Middle Fork Kentucky River at Tallega 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

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.48ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:45 PM EDT (38 min ago)

Flow: 166 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Middle Fork Kentucky River at Tallega, where the gauge shows 5.48 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.48 ft – 5.61 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 43.33 ftJanuary 30, 1957

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

What happens at each level

43.33 ft: flooding will exceed highest stage on record
5.48 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	43.33 ft	January 30, 1957
2	40.50 ft	February 1, 1939
3	40.07 ft	February 2, 1951
4	37.78 ft	January 8, 1946
5	37.40 ft	March 1, 1929
6	37.18 ft	February 14, 1948
7	35.53 ft	February 19, 1956
8	35.10 ft	March 1, 1935
9	34.32 ft	June 29, 1947
10	33.28 ft	January 31, 1932

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 37° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 68° 41° – Wind 4 mph

20 Tue 70° 42° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 70° 44° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 70° 44° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 42° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 74° 46° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Middle Fork Kentucky River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Fork Kentucky River at Highway 2431 at HydenRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	4.32 ft	No reference yet	−0.04 ft	31 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at Hwy28 near BuckhornRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	3.97 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Kentucky River at BoonevilleRiver gauge, South Fork Kentucky River	3.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	7 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 14 at HeidelbergRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	10 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at JacksonRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	11 mi
Sturgeon Creek at CressmontRiver gauge, Sturgeon Creek	4.9 cfs	Normal	−1.6 cfs	12 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow ShoalsRiver gauge, Kentucky River	888 cfs	Normal	−232.0 cfs	14 mi
Buckhorn Lake at BuckhornLake, Buckhorn Lake	782.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	16 mi
Red River near Hazel GreenRiver gauge, Red River	5.0 cfs	Normal	−1.9 cfs	19 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 12 near IrvineRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.60 ft	21 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 Tallega today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:45 PM EDT, the water level was 5.48 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Fork Kentucky River at Tallega rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Middle Fork Kentucky River at Tallega normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Middle Fork Kentucky River at Tallega?

The highest level on record is 43.33 ft on January 30, 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:03281000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.55509, -83.59380 (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	5.48 ft	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional
Flow	166 cfs	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Fork Kentucky River at Tallega (usgs:03281000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/middle-fork-kentucky-river-at-tallega

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