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Patoka River near Princeton water level

River gauge, Patoka River, Indiana, United States

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Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.02ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
105 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 24.89 ft Minor floodstage 18.00 ft

History

History
51015ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19Minor flood stage51015ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19Minor flood stage
51015ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage51015ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
1020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage1020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

At 3.02 ft, the Patoka River near Princeton is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.34 ft, based on 19 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.32 ft below typical. It is 14.98 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.52 ft, a difference of −2.50 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.74 ft and 4.85 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 19 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.34 ft1.32 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.52 ft – 11.53 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (19 years of records)
Same day last year
5.52 ft−2.50 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.74 ft – 4.85 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.74 ft – 23.91 ft
Highest on record
24.89 ftMay 4, 2011

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 18.00 ft, still 14.98 ft away.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft
At 23 feet, extensive flooding occurs on southern end of Patoka impacting W River Rd, S West Street, and S Wood St. County Road 400 N, east of Patoka is also flooded near the bridge. Extensive flooding occurs mainly west of Wheeling impacting E 375N.
22.00 ft
Flooding affects mainly farmland. Seasonal camping trailers closest to the river become inundated.
3.02 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: 28 %.

RankLevelDate
124.89 ftMay 4, 2011
224.35 ftMay 4, 1996
324.30 ftMay 6, 2017
424.11 ftMarch 25, 2008
524.00 ftMarch 16, 2006
623.97 ftJuly 3, 2026
723.19 ftApril 11, 2025
823.17 ftMay 17, 2002
922.79 ftMarch 2, 2018
1022.60 ftJanuary 11, 2005

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 58° 43° – Wind 14 mph
18 Sun 65° 38° – Wind 9 mph
19 Mon 70° 40° – Wind 4 mph
20 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 72° 48° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 74° 51° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 74° 51° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:04 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Patoka River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Patoka River near CuzcoRiver gauge, Patoka River 5.98 ft No reference yet −0.01 ft 45 mi
Patoka River at JasperRiver gauge, Patoka River 9.00 ft Very high +0.08 ft 36 mi
Patoka River at WinslowRiver gauge, Patoka River 7.94 ft Low −0.07 ft 18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
White River at HazletonRiver gauge, White River 2.23 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 7 mi
Pigeon Creek near Fort BranchRiver gauge, Pigeon Creek 2.0 cfs Normal −0.2 cfs 10 mi
Wabash River at Mount CarmelRiver gauge, Wabash River 4.05 ft Normal −0.07 ft 11 mi
White River at PetersburgRiver gauge, White River 2.90 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 16 mi
White River above PetersburgRiver gauge, White River 3.85 ft Below flood stage +0.05 ft 19 mi
Wabash River at Memorial Bridge at VincennesRiver gauge, Wabash River 4.72 ft Below flood stage −0.19 ft 20 mi
Bonpas Creek at BrownsRiver gauge, Bonpas Creek 1.74 ft Normal −0.49 ft 23 mi
Embarras River at LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Embarras River 16.74 ft Low −0.01 ft 24 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Patoka River near Princeton higher than last year?

No, it is 2.50 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.52 ft.

What is flood stage for the Patoka River near Princeton?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 14.98 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Patoka River near Princeton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.34 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.52 ft and 11.53 ft, based on 19 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 Patoka River near Princeton today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.02 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Patoka River near Princeton rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.43 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Patoka River near Princeton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 19 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:03376500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.39033, -87.54890 (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 3.02 ft 2026-10-19 08:45 Provisional
Flow 105 cfs 2026-10-19 08:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Patoka River near Princeton (usgs:03376500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/patoka-river-near-princeton

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.