Kennebec River at Gardiner
River flow & level · USGS gauge 01049505 · Maine · drains 5,760 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 4:00 PM · gage height
The Kennebec River at Gardiner is at 4.75 ft gage height, 8.2 ft below flood stage.
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumAction (12.0 ft) is 7.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (13.0 ft) is 8.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (15.0 ft) is 10.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (17.0 ft) is 12.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Action (12.0 ft) is 7.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (13.0 ft) is 8.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (15.0 ft) is 10.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (17.0 ft) is 12.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Action (12.0 ft) is 9.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (13.0 ft) is 10.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (15.0 ft) is 12.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (17.0 ft) is 14.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Kennebec River at Gardiner fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETRiver rising, light WNW wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:18 AM–8:18 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 65°F / low 30°FMostly Sunny
- WindLight WNW0–9 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 17
- Level4.75 ftRiver rising 1.12 ft in 24 h
Official Maine fishing info: Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife — Fishing info
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:08 AM · Sunset 5:36 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot11:44 AM–1:44 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:18 AM–8:18 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:01 PM–6:01 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 11:44 AM–1:44 PM Minor 7:18 AM–8:18 AM · 5:01 PM–6:01 PM Light wind 0–9 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:12 AM–2:12 AM · 12:42 PM–2:42 PM Minor 8:39 AM–9:39 AM · 5:38 PM–6:38 PM Light wind 4–7 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:13 AM–3:13 AM · 1:45 PM–3:45 PM Minor 9:59 AM–10:59 AM · 6:26 PM–7:26 PM Calm wind 0–6 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:17 AM–4:17 AM · 2:49 PM–4:49 PM Minor 11:11 AM–12:11 PM · 7:28 PM–8:28 PM Calm wind 0–7 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:21 AM–5:21 AM · 3:53 PM–5:53 PM Minor 12:10 PM–1:10 PM · 8:41 PM–9:41 PM Light wind 5–12 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:24 AM–6:24 AM · 4:53 PM–6:53 PM Minor 12:55 PM–1:55 PM · 9:59 PM–10:59 PM Light wind 4–8 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:22 AM–6:22 AM · 4:49 PM–6:49 PM Minor 12:30 PM–1:30 PM · 10:17 PM–11:17 PM Light wind 1–7 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 6, rounded | 6/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 44.23, -69.77 (moon times from astronomical equations, Kennebec River at Gardiner local time).
Weather & wind at Kennebec River at Gardiner
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon65° / 30°Mostly SunnyWind NW 10 mphRain 3%
- Tuesday50° / 23°SunnyWind NW 5 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday52° / 33°SunnyWind SW 0 to 5 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 44.230, -69.769 (grid GYX), issued Oct 26, 2:22 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge GIRM1- Action stage12 ft+7.2 ft from now
- Minor stage13 ft+8.2 ft from now
- Moderate stage15 ft+10.2 ft from now
- Major stage17 ft+12.2 ft from now
- Record crest26.4 ft1936
Last 10 days
| Date | Gage height (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 2.30 | −2.54 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 4.84 | −0.22 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 5.06 | +0.12 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 4.94 | +0.27 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 4.67 | −0.02 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 4.69 | +0.51 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 4.18 | +0.08 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 4.10 | −0.01 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 4.11 | −0.20 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 4.31 | −0.95 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Kennebec River at Hallowell4 mi · River4.32 ftstage 4.32 ft
- Kennebec River at Calumet Bridge at Augusta6 mi · River3.91 ftstage 3.91 ft
- Kennebec River at North Sidney17 mi · River2,510 cfs39% of normal
- Sebago Lake48 mi · Lake · North Windham262.65 ft−0.33 ft vs normal
- Penobscot River at Bangor63 mi · River-2.99 ftstage -2.99 ft
- Penobscot River at Eddington67 mi · River1.97 ftstage 1.97 ft
Tidal water nearby
This gauge is 0 mi from NOAA tide station Gardiner, ME. Where the river is tidal, its level rises and falls twice a day with the tide as well as with the flow shown here — see Gardiner, ME tide times on TideCharts USA.
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 01049505 — Kennebec River at Gardiner, Maine
- Location
- 44.2303, -69.7694 · Maine
- Drainage area
- 5,760 sq mi
- Measures
- Gage height (stage) above the gauge datum
- Daily statistics
- Not available (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 4:00 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge GIRM1 — National Water Prediction Service
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.