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Ohio River at Paducah water level

River gauge, Ohio River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

16.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

25 50 Highest onrecord 60.60 ft Minor floodstage 39.00 ft

History

152025ftOct 13Oct 21Oct 29Nov 7Nov 15152025ftOct 13Oct 29Nov 15
203040ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 18Nov 1Nov 15Minor flood stage203040ftSep 20Oct 18Nov 15Minor 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 15.60 ft by Friday, November 6 at 06:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:19 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Ohio River at Paducah, where the gauge shows 16.22 ft.

The median for mid-October is 15.85 ft, based on 12 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.38 ft above typical. It is 22.78 ft below the flood stage of 39.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 15.88 ft, a difference of +0.34 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 15.60 ft by Friday, November 6 at 06:00 PM. The 30-day range is 15.65 ft – 17.54 ft.

Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
15.85 ft0.38 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
14.73 ft – 24.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (12 years of records)
Same day last year
15.88 ft+0.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
15.65 ft – 17.54 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
14.89 ft – 31.17 ft
Highest on record
60.60 ftFebruary 2, 1937
Forecast peak
16.10 ftSunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 39.00 ft.

What happens at each level

64.00 ft
The top of the protection is reached at Paducah.
60.60 ft
This flood will exceed the highest stage on record. Large amounts of property damage can be expected. Evacuation of many homes and businesses becomes necessary. The levee will protect most of the city at this level.
56.00 ft
Many of the industrial plants upstream in Calvert City are affected at this stage and higher and may begin to shut down.
52.00 ft
Major flooding occurs and is widespread on both sides of the river.
49.50 ft
The first gate is closed in the floodwall in Paducah.
47.00 ft
Property damage begins on the the Illinois and Kentucky sides of the river.
43.00 ft
Moderate flooding occurs affecting several small unprotected towns.
39.00 ft
Minor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
32.00 ft
The city of Paducah starts the first pumps.
16.22 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: 12 %.

RankLevelDate
160.60 ftFebruary 2, 1937
255.03 ftMay 5, 2011
354.30 ftApril 7, 1913
454.30 ftFebruary 23, 1884
553.30 ftFebruary 13, 1950
653.27 ftFebruary 25, 2019
752.00 ftMarch 21, 1867
851.79 ftMarch 11, 1997
951.43 ftMarch 2, 2018
1051.40 ftApril 3, 1975

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Ohio River at Cannelton Dam at CanneltonRiver gauge, Ohio River 15.00 ft High +0.08 ft 118 mi
Ohio River at Riverport at OwensboroRiver gauge, Ohio River 20.06 ft No reference yet ±0 93 mi
Ohio River at Newburgh Lock and DamRiver gauge, Ohio River 17.74 ft Normal +0.58 ft 88 mi
Ohio River at EvansvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River 16.79 ft Normal +0.50 ft 83 mi
Ohio River at HendersonRiver gauge, Ohio River 14.54 ft Normal +0.55 ft 76 mi
Ohio River at Uniontown DamRiver gauge, Ohio River 12.93 ft Low +0.26 ft 59 mi
Ohio River at Old ShawneetownRiver gauge, Ohio River 17.21 ft Normal −0.24 ft 49 mi
Ohio River at Dam 51 at GolcondaRiver gauge, Ohio River 29.99 ft Below flood stage −0.39 ft 20 mi
Ohio River at Smithland Dam, SmithlandRiver gauge, Ohio River 13.83 ft Below flood stage +0.73 ft 10 mi
Ohio River at OlmstedRiver gauge, Ohio River 20.42 ft Below flood stage −0.56 ft 26 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Massac Creek near PaducahRiver gauge, Massac Creek 1.8 cfs Normal −0.2 cfs 7 mi
Mayfield Creek at LovelacevilleRiver gauge, Mayfield Creek 32.9 cfs Very high −1.2 cfs 16 mi
Cache River at FormanRiver gauge, Cache River 8.26 ft Normal −0.02 ft 25 mi
Lusk Creek near EddyvilleRiver gauge, Lusk Creek 1.87 ft Low ±0 27 mi
Clarks River at AlmoRiver gauge, Clarks River 11.8 cfs Normal −3.2 cfs 33 mi
Bayou De Chien near ClintonRiver gauge, Bayou De Chien 19.0 cfs Normal +0.3 cfs 38 mi
South Fork Saline River near Carrier MillsRiver gauge, South Fork Saline River 2.20 ft Low ±0 38 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Ohio River at Paducah higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.34 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 15.88 ft.

What is flood stage for the Ohio River at Paducah?

The official flood stage is 39.00 ft. The level is currently 22.78 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 15.85 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 14.73 ft and 24.35 ft, based on 12 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 Paducah today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT, the water level was 16.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at Paducah rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Ohio River at Paducah normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 12 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:03611000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.08950, -88.59449 (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 16.22 ft 2026-10-19 02:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Paducah (usgs:03611000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/ohio-river-at-paducah

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