Summary
Total streamflow across the
Hocking River
was last observed at
328
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
651
acre-ft of water today; about 29%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
1,128 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2018-04-05 when daily discharge volume was observed at
27,160 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Hocking River At Athens Oh
reporting a streamflow rate of 217 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Hocking River, with a gauge stage of
3.21 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Hocking River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 722 ft, the
Hocking River At Enterprise Oh.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-04 |
| Discharge Volume | 651 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
328.0 cfs
-14.0 cfs (-4.09%) |
| Percent of Normal | 29.08% |
| Maximum |
27,160.0 cfs
2018-04-05 |
| Seasonal Avg | 1,128 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hocking River At Enterprise Oh
USGS 03157500 |
111 cfs | 0.73 ft | -4.31 | |||||
|
Hocking River At Athens Oh
USGS 03159500 |
217 cfs | 3.21 ft | -3.98 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Hocking River (formerly the Hockhocking River) is a 102-mile-long (164 km) right tributary of the Ohio River in southeastern Ohio in the United States.
The Hocking flows mostly on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, but its headwaters are in a glaciated region. It rises in Bloom Township in Fairfield County and flows generally southeastwardly through Fairfield, Hocking, and Athens counties, through the Hocking Hills region and past the cities of Lancaster, Logan, Nelsonville, Athens and Coolville. It joins the Ohio River at Hockingport. The Hocking's tributaries also drain parts of Perry, Morgan, and Washington Counties.
Its name originally derives from a Native American name, roughly "Hokhokken" or "Hokhochen", which meant "bottle-shaped" or "gourd-shaped" and referred to the river's headwaters 7 miles north-west of present-day Lancaster, Ohio. The river begins as a small stream, then immediately goes over a water fall into a wide gorge. When viewed from above this feature looks like a bottle, which led to its name. The river was known as the Hockhocking River until the late 19th century.
The Hocking Canal once linked Athens to Lancaster and the Ohio and Erie Canal, but was destroyed by flooding and never rebuilt. Due to frequent flooding of Ohio University's campus, the Army Corps of Engineers re-channelized a section of the Hocking River in Athens during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between Nelsonville and Athens, the Hocking today is roughly paralleled by a rail trail, the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway. The path serves as a major source of recreation for the residents of the area, especially the students of Ohio University and Hocking College.
Major tributaries to the Hocking include (downriver to upriver) Federal Creek, Margaret Creek, Sunday Creek, Monday Creek, Scott Creek, Oldtown Creek, Clear Creek, Rush Creek, Pleasant Run, Baldwin Run, and Hunters Run. Many of these tributaries are affected by acid mine drainage.