Schuylkill River at Reading water level

Name: Schuylkill River at Reading 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, Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.95ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT (56 min ago)

Flow: 1,340 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 09:37 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Schuylkill River at Reading reads 3.95 ft, a normal level.

It is 11.55 ft below the flood stage of 15.50 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.92 ft and 4.07 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 31.30 ftJune 22, 1972
Forecast peak: 3.80 ftSunday, October 18 at 02:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.50 ft, still 11.55 ft away.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: The Penn Street ramps in West Reading are flooded.
22.00 ft: Flooding spreads in Reading with more roads flooded, including the east and west bound lanes of US 222/422 (West Shore Bypass). The Conrail tracks in West Reading are inundated.
18.00 ft: Additional streets in Reading are closed. West Reading begins to experience street flooding. The Reading Conrail tracks are also flooded.
16.00 ft: Flooding occurs along portions of Franklin, Grape and Chestnut Streets in Reading.
15.50 ft: Flooding begins in Reading. Portions of Water and Canal Streets are flooded.
3.95 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: 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.30 ft	June 22, 1972
2	23.75 ft	June 28, 2006
3	20.40 ft	September 8, 2011
4	17.50 ft	April 16, 1983
5	17.36 ft	January 25, 1979
6	16.95 ft	September 2, 2021
7	16.24 ft	September 18, 2004
8	16.09 ft	December 14, 1983
9	15.85 ft	January 20, 1996
10	15.83 ft	October 20, 1996

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 60° 42° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 57° 37° – Wind 4 mph

19 Mon 63° 38° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 67° 48° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 62° 44° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 64° 43° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 64° 46° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 48%

Map

Other gauges on the Schuylkill River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Schuylkill River at LandingvilleRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	3.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	23 mi
Schuylkill River at BerneRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	5.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	13 mi
Schuylkill River at PottstownRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Schuylkill River at NorristownRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	8.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	34 mi
Schuylkill River at ConshohockenRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	7.52 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	38 mi
Schuylkill River at Manayunk, PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	11.66 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	43 mi
Schuylkill River at PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	6.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	47 mi
Schuylkill River near 30th St at PhiladelphiaRiver gauge, Schuylkill River	1.61 ft	Very high	+0.07 ft	48 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tulpehocken Creek near ReadingRiver gauge, Tulpehocken Creek	2.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	3.2 mi
Tulpehocken Cr at Blue Marsh Damsite near ReadingRiver gauge, Tulpehocken Cr	205 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	5.2 mi
Blue Marsh Lake near BernvilleLake, Blue Marsh Lake	288.79 ft	Normal	−0.43 ft	5.9 mi
Maiden Creek at BerkleyRiver gauge, Maiden Creek	206 cfs	High	−55.0 cfs	6 mi
Manatawny Creek near SpangsvilleRiver gauge, Manatawny Creek	32.2 cfs	Normal	−19.1 cfs	10 mi
Tulpehocken Creek near BernvilleRiver gauge, Tulpehocken Creek	86.8 cfs	Normal	−17.2 cfs	13 mi
Maiden Creek near VirginvilleRiver gauge, Maiden Creek	113 cfs	Normal	−85.0 cfs	14 mi
Struble Lake near Honey BrookLake, Struble Lake	616.95 ft	High	−0.07 ft	16 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Schuylkill River at Reading?

The official flood stage is 15.50 ft. The level is currently 11.55 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 Schuylkill River at Reading today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT, the water level was 3.95 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Schuylkill River at Reading rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Schuylkill River at Reading normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Schuylkill River at Reading?

The highest level on record is 31.30 ft on June 22, 1972.

Is Schuylkill River at Reading expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01471510 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.33536, -75.93683 (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	3.95 ft	2026-10-18 09:15	Provisional
Flow	1,340 cfs	2026-10-18 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Schuylkill River at Reading (usgs:01471510). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/schuylkill-river-at-reading

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