Hocking River at Athens OH water level

Name: Hocking River at Athens OH 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, Hocking River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.37ft Down 0.99 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 11:15 PM EDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 613 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 09:21 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Hocking River at Athens OH, where the gauge shows 4.37 ft.

It is 15.63 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.99 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 4.33 ft – 6.01 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 22.52 ftApril 5, 2018
Lowest on record: 1.98 ftSeptember 25, 1962
Forecast peak: 4.40 ftSaturday, October 17 at 08:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 20.00 ft.

What happens at each level

33.70 ft: In Athens, Ohio University, U.S. Route 3, two eastern pump stations, the heating plant, and most of the city flood.
28.00 ft: Areas in Athens, located near the river and Ohio University, flood.
26.00 ft: Areas in downtown Athens begin to flood. Water surrounds the hospital.
25.00 ft: In Coolville, Frost Road bridge floods.
24.00 ft: In Nelsonville, four homes adjacent to the river and across railroad below Farrow Street flood.
23.00 ft: Numerous homes and roads along the mouth of the river flood. In Athens, several businesses and homes along West Union Street near the river flood.
22.50 ft: Numerous homes and roads along the river, approximately 1 mile upstream from Ohio River, flood. In Coolville, Frost Road and Ohio Route 144 flood.
22.00 ft: Sections of East State Street along with adjacent business parking lots flood. Ohio Route 33 south of Nelsonville begins to flood.
21.50 ft: Four homes along 1100 block of Harmony Road flood at 21 to 22 feet. Athens Community Center parking lot and tennis courts flood.
21.00 ft: South Canaan Road and Township Road 605 in the vicinity of US Route 50 flood. Glen Ebon Road begins to flood. Hockhocking Adena Bikeway near West State Street begins to flood. In Chauncey, areas along Ohio Routes 13 and 682 flood.
20.00 ft: Low areas, campground, and private camps along the river between Athens and Coolville begin to flood. Much of the city of Athens is protected up to 26 feet by levees. In Nelsonville, the baseball field adjacent to Lake Hope Drive floods.
18.00 ft: Low sections of Harmony Road begin to flood. In Nelsonville, the baseball fields along Watkins Street flood.
4.37 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.52 ft	April 5, 2018
2	22.08 ft	February 9, 2019
3	21.30 ft	March 3, 2017
4	21.11 ft	February 14, 2019
5	20.83 ft	April 6, 2025
6	20.14 ft	February 10, 2019
7	20.10 ft	February 19, 2022
8	18.66 ft	April 17, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.14 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 55° 44° 0.02 in, 26% Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 59° 38° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 64° 40° – Wind 4 mph

20 Tue 66° 41° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 66° 44° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 66° 40° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 66° 42° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 46%

Map

Other gauges on the Hocking River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hocking River at Lancaster OHRiver gauge, Hocking River	28.5 cfs	Very high	−4.6 cfs	38 mi
Hocking River at Enterprise OHRiver gauge, Hocking River	1.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	26 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sunday Creek at Glouster OHRiver gauge, Sunday Creek	3.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	12 mi
Sunday Creek near Burr Oak OHRiver gauge, Sunday Creek	7.80 ft	Very high	−0.13 ft	14 mi
Shade River near Chester OHRiver gauge, Shade River	5.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	21 mi
Muskingum River at McConnelsville OHRiver gauge, Muskingum River	1.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	25 mi
Muskingum River at Beverly OHRiver gauge, Muskingum River	15.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	28 mi
Ohio River at ParkersburgRiver gauge, Ohio River	21.94 ft	High	+0.09 ft	28 mi
Little Tygart Creek at Mineral WellsRiver gauge, Little Tygart Creek	1.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	31 mi
Clear Creek near Rockbridge OHRiver gauge, Clear Creek	62.3 cfs	Very high	−6.4 cfs	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Hocking River at Athens OH?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 15.63 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 Hocking River at Athens OH today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 11:15 PM EDT, the water level was 4.37 ft. Down 0.99 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Hocking River at Athens OH rising or falling?

Down 0.99 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Hocking River at Athens OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Hocking River at Athens OH?

The highest level on record is 22.52 ft on April 5, 2018. The lowest is 1.98 ft on September 25, 1962.

Is Hocking River at Athens OH expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03159500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.32896, -82.08764 (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	4.37 ft	2026-10-18 03:15	Provisional
Flow	613 cfs	2026-10-18 03:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Hocking River at Athens OH (usgs:03159500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/hocking-river-at-athens-oh

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