Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine water level

Name: Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine 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, Little Madawaska River, Maine, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.36ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT (41 min ago)

Flow: 72.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine, where the gauge shows 3.36 ft.

It is 6.14 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.36 ft – 3.78 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.38 ftApril 27, 2018

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 9.50 ft.

What happens at each level

11.38 ft: Flood water approach structures on Noyes Road in Caribou similar to the flood of April 27, 2018.
11.00 ft: River begins to flood property upstream of Access Highway, Route 98, between Madawaska Road and Bowles Road. Flooding begins of the former Mobile Home Park off Access Highway near the river.
10.50 ft: Flooding begins in the fields between Access Highway & Belyea Road near the river. River begins to flood low lying property at the end of Sullivan Drive in Caribou.
10.00 ft: Minor low lying flooding of property on Noyes Road
9.50 ft: River approaches bankfull.
3.36 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.38 ft	April 27, 2018
2	10.13 ft	April 22, 2019
3	9.80 ft	May 1, 2018
4	9.78 ft	April 12, 2014
5	9.37 ft	March 23, 2012
6	9.28 ft	May 28, 2022
7	9.08 ft	October 27, 2017
8	9.03 ft	December 14, 2010
9	9.02 ft	April 18, 2014
10	8.92 ft	April 24, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 54° 34° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 50° 32° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 49° 32° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 45° 29° – Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 53° 28° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 59° 34° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 56° 44° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:59 AM Sunset 05:36 PM Daylight 10 hr, 37 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hardwood Brook below Glidden Brk near Caribou, MaineRiver gauge, Hardwood Brook	1.7 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	8 mi
Aroostook River near TinkerRiver gauge, Aroostook River	3.08 m	Low	±0	17 km
Aroostook River at Washburn, MaineRiver gauge, Aroostook River	1.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	13 mi
Saint John River at Grand FallsRiver gauge, Saint John River	89.37 m	Low	−0.23 m	23 km
Williams Brook at Phair, MaineRiver gauge, Williams Brook	1.30 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Grande Riviere at Violette BridgeRiver gauge, Grande Riviere	0.33 m	Normal	−0.03 m	40 km
Aroostook River near Masardis, MaineRiver gauge, Aroostook River	2.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	32 mi
Big Presque Isle Stream at Tracey MillsRiver gauge, Big Presque Isle Stream	0.23 m	Very low	−0.01 m	52 km

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 6.14 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 Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT, the water level was 3.36 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine?

The highest level on record is 11.38 ft on April 27, 2018.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01017290 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.88861, -67.94500 (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	3.36 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	72.6 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Madawaska River at Caribou, Maine (usgs:01017290). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maine/little-madawaska-river-at-caribou-maine

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