WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
—— ft above typical
Finding the top signal on the water…
Live lake level, flow, historical records and forecast for Upper Mystic Lake, Gate House, at Winchester in MA, United States, built from official government gauge data.
Upper Mystic Lake is in the Charles watershed in Massachusetts.
The station’s high-water mark is 115.52 ft (35.21 m) in June 2025, and its low-water mark is 113.62 ft (34.63 m) in August 2025. That span is small, but it still matters for docks, shoreline access, and any fixed intake or pump set near the margin.
The seasonal pattern is also tight. The highest typical month is March at 114.83 ft (35 m), while the lowest typical month is August at 114.14 ft (34.79 m). The typical annual swing is 8.3 in (21 cm), so the water here usually moves in inches, not feet, through the year.
For anyone using the shore, the main point is simple: this lake’s record is short, with 2 years on record, so every new high or low still adds a lot to the station story.
The gauge drains 27.6 sq mi (71.5 km2) above the station. That is the area feeding this reading, not the whole Charles watershed.
In New England, spring snowmelt and rain freshet often shape the higher-water season, while summer low flows are common. Coastal storms and tropical remnants can bring the larger flood events. On this lake, the record already shows a March high and an August low, which fits that broad seasonal rhythm.
This page’s hero number is most useful when set against the median for the same calendar day, not just the raw elevation. A single elevation on its own can look ordinary or unusual without that context.
The source is the USGS, and the station record is based on 2 years on record. The date-specific median shows whether today sits above or below the usual level for this day at this gauge, which is the better guide for cottagers, anglers, and anyone watching the shoreline than the height alone.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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