About this river
Kentucky River is a 20.2 mile river near Canoe Kentucky in Kentucky. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Kentucky River at Lock 2 at Lockport, KY (site 03290500). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 7. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1977 to 2025
Kentucky River typically runs highest in March, at a median 13,200 cfs, and lowest in September, at 944 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 123,000 cfs, in 2025.
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) | Relative level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9,690 | 4,980 to 18,200 | |
| February | 11,000 | 6,550 to 20,300 | |
| March | 13,200 | 7,400 to 20,400 | |
| April | 9,065 | 5,075 to 16,300 | |
| May | 6,080 | 3,280 to 12,800 | |
| June | 3,210 | 1,585 to 7,500 | |
| July | 2,130 | 1,160 to 4,240 | |
| August | 1,570 | 784 to 3,300 | |
| September | 944 | 457 to 2,160 | |
| October | 1,360 | 513 to 3,310 | |
| November | 2,260 | 853 to 7,485 | |
| December | 7,900 | 3,110 to 15,300 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 43 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Kentucky River at Lock 2 at Lockport, KY (site 03290500). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
5 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Kentucky River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Lee's DockKentucky RiverPublic
- Frankfort DockKentucky RiverPublic
- Benson CreekKentucky RiverPublic
- Kentucky River CampgroundsKentucky RiverPublic
- Steele BranchKentucky RiverPublic
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Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Kentucky River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
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