Kentucky River river
Total streamflow across the Kentucky River was last observed at 87,940 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 174,427 acre-ft of water today; about 149% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 58,910 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-02-18 when daily discharge volume was observed at 946,100 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Kentucky River At Lock 2 At Lockport reporting a streamflow rate of 18,800 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Kentucky River At Lock 3 At Gest with a gauge stage of 15.2 ft. This river is monitored from 12 different streamgauging stations along the Kentucky River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 630 ft, the Kentucky River At Lock 14 At Heidelberg.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Kentucky River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Kentucky River
All 12 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kentucky River At Lock 14 At Heidelberg
KY
USGS 03282000
|
2,820 | 11.13 | 6.0 | 138% | 131 | 96,400 | 630 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 10 Near Winchester
KY
USGS 03284000
|
5,510 | 13.01 | 2.2 | 183% | 123 | 96,400 | 604 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 11 Near College Hill
KY
USGS 03282290
|
3,570 | 13.46 | 14.4 | 142% | 117 | 84,200 | 597 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 12 Near Irvine
KY
USGS 03282120
|
· | 10.99 | · | 0% | 144 | 72,400 | 597 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 9 At Valley View
KY
USGS 03284230
|
5,580 | 14.10 | 7.7 | 183% | 47 | 89,000 | 591 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 8 Near Camp Nelson
KY
USGS 03284500
|
5,870 | 15.00 | 18.8 | 266% | 58 | 89,900 | 586 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 6 Near Salvisa
KY
USGS 03287000
|
6,340 | 12.41 | 60.1 | 183% | 111 | 138,000 | 555 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 7 At Highbridge
KY
USGS 03286500
|
6,860 | 12.49 | 40.3 | 71% | 3,540 | 117,000 | 548 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 5 Near Tyrone
KY
USGS 03287250
|
6,660 | 11.33 | 68.6 | 186% | 141 | 97,100 | 504 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 4 At Frankfort
KY
USGS 03287500
|
8,730 | 9.42 | 58.2 | 223% | 78 | 111,000 | 499 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 3 At Gest
KY
USGS 03290080
|
17,200 | 15.20 | 87.0 | 464% | 126 | 104,000 | 473 |
|
Kentucky River At Lock 2 At Lockport
KY
USGS 03290500
|
18,800 | 14.38 | 88.0 | 391% | 113 | 120,000 | 463 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Kentucky River
The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, covering a total length of 259 miles. It has a significant history in the state of Kentucky, as it was a vital transportation route for early settlers and served as a source of power for mills and factories in the 19th century. The river's hydrology includes multiple tributaries, with some of the major ones being the North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Fork. The river is impounded by several dams, including the Lock and Dam 11, which creates the reservoir known as the Kentucky River Lake. Other recreational areas around the river include the Kentucky River Palisades and the Clifty Wilderness Area. The Kentucky River is used for agricultural purposes, including irrigation and livestock watering.
Recreation along the Kentucky River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Kentucky River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Kentucky River
Where does the data for the Kentucky River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.