Kentucky River at Lock 2 at Lockport Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Kentucky River at Lock 2 at Lockport in KY, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Water body KENTUCKY RIVER AT LOCK 2 AT LOCKPORT
- Location KY, United States
- Watershed lower kentucky
- Primary gauge 03290500 (USGS)
About Kentucky River at Lock 2 at Lockport
What the record shows
The Kentucky River at Lock 2 in Kentucky sits in the Lower Kentucky watershed.
The record at this USGS station runs for 50 years. The highest level in that record is 53.36 ft (16.26 m), set in April 2025. The lowest is 8.04 ft (2.45 m), set in September 2019.
That spread matters. A dock, intake, or bank path built around the low end of the record can still face a very different river when the water climbs toward the high end. The typical annual swing is 4.5 ft (1.38 m), so the river does not stay near one level through the year.
The seasonal pattern is clear. March is the highest month on the record, at 13.28 ft (4.05 m). September is the lowest month, at 8.77 ft (2.67 m). For users on the water, that means the river usually asks more of ramps, banks, and shallow crossings in late winter and early spring, while late summer and early fall are the tighter months for depth.
The watershed
This gauge drains 6180 sq mi (16006 km2) upstream of the station. That is the area feeding this reading, not the whole named watershed on a map.
In Appalachian-foothill basins, river response can be quick when rain falls on already wet ground, and the sharpest rises often come in winter and spring. That seasonal note fits the pattern here: the river’s highest month is March, while September is the low point.
For people living along the river, the practical takeaway is to watch for changes early in the wet season and not to assume a calm level will hold for long after a rain. For anglers, the March-to-September difference is enough to change access, shoreline depth, and the shape of holding water.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page is meant to show today’s reading against the median for the same calendar day across the station record. That is more useful than raw elevation because a stage number only tells you how high the water is right now; the calendar-day median tells you whether it is high or low for this time of year.
This station is operated by the USGS, and the record spans more than 50 years.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
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How every number is computed - About the platform
