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Ohio River at Louisville water level

River gauge, Ohio River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

17.35ft Down 0.43 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
92,700 cfs
25 50 75 Highest onrecord 85.44 ft Minor floodstage 55.00 ft

History

101520ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24101520ftOct 13Oct 18Oct 24
2040ftSep 20Sep 28Oct 7Oct 15Oct 24Minor flood stage2040ftSep 20Oct 7Oct 24Minor flood stage
2040ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage2040ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
2040ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20262040ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.90 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 08:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 11:01 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

High water at Ohio River at Louisville: the latest reading is 17.35 ft, above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 11.51 ft, based on 32 years of readings, so the river stage is 5.84 ft above typical. It is 37.65 ft below the flood stage of 55.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 10.23 ft, a difference of +7.12 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.43 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.90 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 08:00 AM. The 30-day range is 11.18 ft – 32.12 ft.

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
11.51 ft5.84 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
10.01 ft – 20.65 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year
10.23 ft+7.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
11.18 ft – 32.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
10.41 ft – 43.87 ft
Highest on record
85.44 ftJanuary 27, 1937
Forecast peak
17.40 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

For reference, flood stage is 55.00 ft.

What happens at each level

88.50 ft
The flood will reach the top of the floodwall. A large part of downtown Louisville floods. Parts of I-64 and I-65 flood. Homes along 31W (Dixie Highway) are destroyed. New Albany and Clarksville will suffer major damage.
76.00 ft
US 31W (Dixie Highway) closed at floodgate.
74.00 ft
Houk Lane is closed at floodgate.
71.00 ft
KY 44 is closed.
67.00 ft
Blackiston Mill Road floods at Silver Creek in Clarksville.
66.00 ft
Lock is closed. Floodgates at Riverport are closed.
65.00 ft
Parts of US 31W (Dixie Highway) flood from I-265 (Gene Synder Freeway) interchange to West Point KY. Riverfront parks in Clarksville and New Albany flood.
59.00 ft
Overbrook Rd. floods south of Lake Dreamland Rd.
58.00 ft
IN 111 floods upstream of Bridgeport.
55.00 ft
Parks and riverfront areas in Clarksville and New Albany flood. Some yards along US 31W (Dixie Highway) from Pleasure Ridge Park to West Point KY flood.
17.35 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: 7 %.

RankLevelDate
185.44 ftJanuary 27, 1937
274.40 ftFebruary 16, 1884
374.40 ftMarch 7, 1945
473.46 ftMarch 13, 1964
572.70 ftApril 2, 1913
672.20 ftFebruary 16, 1883
770.47 ftMarch 7, 1997
869.60 ftFebruary 21, 1832
969.10 ftJanuary 22, 1907
1068.80 ftDecember 17, 1847

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:56 AM Sunset 07:01 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Ohio River at MaysvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River 34.12 ft Normal −0.35 ft 113 mi
Ohio River at CincinnatiRiver gauge, Ohio River 28.45 ft High +0.13 ft 89 mi
Ohio River at Markland Dam near WarsawRiver gauge, Ohio River 18.84 ft High +0.10 ft 56 mi
Ohio River at MadisonRiver gauge, Ohio River 15.03 ft No reference yet −0.02 ft 39 mi
Ohio River at Water Tower at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River 83,500 cfs Normal −15,100.0 cfs 5.3 mi
Ohio River below Riverview Park near LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River 15.30 ft No reference yet −0.43 ft 11 mi
Ohio River at Cannelton Dam at CanneltonRiver gauge, Ohio River 14.60 ft High −0.46 ft 56 mi
Ohio River at Riverport at OwensboroRiver gauge, Ohio River 19.89 ft No reference yet −0.21 ft 80 mi
Ohio River at Newburgh Lock and DamRiver gauge, Ohio River 17.57 ft Normal −0.20 ft 89 mi
Ohio River at EvansvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River 16.69 ft Normal −0.05 ft 99 mi
Ohio River at HendersonRiver gauge, Ohio River 14.51 ft Normal +0.03 ft 102 mi
Ohio River at Uniontown DamRiver gauge, Ohio River 17.67 ft Normal +4.70 ft 124 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb 12.98 ft High +0.08 ft 1.9 mi
Beargrass Creek at River Road at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Beargrass Creek 91.2 cfs Very high +65.7 cfs 4.4 mi
South Fork Beargrass Creek at E Oak St at LouisvilleRiver gauge, South Fork Beargrass Creek 3.1 cfs Low −0.5 cfs 5.0 mi
South Fork Beargrass Creek at LouisvilleRiver gauge, South Fork Beargrass Creek 4.8 cfs Normal ±0 7 mi
Silver Creek near SellersburgRiver gauge, Silver Creek 11.5 cfs Normal −1.4 cfs 7 mi
Middle Fork Beargrass at Old Cannons Ln at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Middle Fork Beargrass 3.8 cfs Normal −0.6 cfs 8 mi
Mill Creek Cutoff near LouisvilleRiver gauge, Mill Creek Cutoff 0.1 cfs Low −0.1 cfs 8 mi
Little Goose Creek near Harrods CreekRiver gauge, Little Goose Creek 4.5 cfs Normal −0.6 cfs 10 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Ohio River at Louisville higher than last year?

Yes, it is 7.12 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 10.23 ft.

What is flood stage for the Ohio River at Louisville?

The official flood stage is 55.00 ft. The level is currently 37.65 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Ohio River at Louisville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 11.51 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 10.01 ft and 20.65 ft, based on 32 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 Ohio River at Louisville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT, the water level was 17.35 ft. Down 0.43 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at Louisville rising or falling?

Down 0.43 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 1.91 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Ohio River at Louisville normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:03294500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.28035, -85.79913 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NGVD29
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 17.35 ft 2026-10-19 19:00 Provisional
Flow 92,700 cfs 2026-10-19 18:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Louisville (usgs:03294500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/ohio-river-at-louisville

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