Kennebec River at the Forks
River flow & level · USGS gauge 01042500 · Maine · drains 1,590 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 4:00 PM · streamflow
The Kennebec River at the Forks is running 534 cfs, 35% of the median flow for October 26 (1,540 cfs, 123 years). Gage height is 2.04 ft. Flow is up 18% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Kennebec River
for rafters & kayakersKennebec Gorge (Harris Station to Carry Brook)
RunnableClass III–IV · 3.4 mi · 40 ft/mi gradient
Low from 350 · too high above 13,000 cfs
Now: 534 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 438.
- Mon Oct 26 4 pm – 4:15 pm 700 cfs
- Mon Oct 26 4:15 pm – 5 pm 1,400 cfs
- Mon Oct 26 5 pm – 7 pm 3,500 cfs
- Mon Oct 26 7 pm – Tue Oct 27 4 pm 340 cfs
- Tue Oct 27 4 pm – 4:15 pm 700 cfs
- Tue Oct 27 4:15 pm – 5 pm 1,400 cfs
Brookfield Renewable’s short-term Harris Station schedule (as of this page’s build). Source: Harris Station (Brookfield Renewable). Actual flows may differ.
Lower Kennebec (Carry Brook to The Forks)
Too lowClass II–III · 8.2 mi · 17 ft/mi gradient
Low from 2,400 · too high above 20,000 cfs
Now: 534 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 810.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Flows through the Kennebec Gorge are set by Harris Station releases. Brookfield publishes a season schedule and a short-term schedule on SafeWaters; flows can change without notice. Source.
Below dams the river can rise suddenly and turn violent when releases start; stay out of tailrace areas and off the river outside scheduled windows unless you know the flow. Ranges are for experienced paddlers at the gauge shown; rapids change after floods, so scout and check for new wood. Wear a PFD, never boat alone, and follow the American Whitewater Safety Code. New to whitewater? Go with a licensed outfitter.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumReading
Kennebec River at the Forks fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETFlow 35% of normal, flow rising — fair fall fishing day (5/10), best window 7:22 AM–8:22 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow35% of normalFlow rising (+18% in 24 h)
Official Maine fishing info: Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife — Fishing info
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
5/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:11 AM · Sunset 5:35 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot11:45 AM–1:45 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:22 AM–8:22 AMSunrise
- Moonrise4:58 PM–5:58 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:45 AM–1:45 PM Minor 7:22 AM–8:22 AM · 4:58 PM–5:58 PM |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:13 AM–2:13 AM · 12:43 PM–2:43 PM Minor 8:45 AM–9:45 AM · 5:34 PM–6:34 PM |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:14 AM–3:14 AM · 1:45 PM–3:45 PM Minor 10:05 AM–11:05 AM · 6:22 PM–7:22 PM |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:18 AM–4:18 AM · 2:50 PM–4:50 PM Minor 11:17 AM–12:17 PM · 7:23 PM–8:23 PM |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 3:22 AM–5:22 AM · 3:54 PM–5:54 PM Minor 12:16 PM–1:16 PM · 8:36 PM–9:36 PM |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:25 AM–6:25 AM · 4:54 PM–6:54 PM Minor 1:00 PM–2:00 PM · 9:55 PM–10:55 PM |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:22 AM–6:22 AM · 4:49 PM–6:49 PM Minor 12:34 PM–1:34 PM · 10:15 PM–11:15 PM |
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 river 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 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 0 |
| Today | 5, rounded | 5/10 |
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 45.34, -69.96 (moon times from astronomical equations, Kennebec River at the Forks local time).
October 26 in history
123 years of flow records- Today534 cfs
- Same date last year1,060 cfs2025
- Median1,540 cfs
- Normal range1,070 cfs – 2,160 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 190411,100 cfs1982
- Lowest since 1904236 cfs1975
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 484 | -33% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 724 | +0% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 722 | -2% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 735 | -1% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 739 | -35% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,140 | -2% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,160 | +54% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 755 | -1% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 761 | +49% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 512 | -42% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Kennebec River at North Sidney61 mi · River2,510 cfs39% of normal
- Penobscot River at West Enfield64 mi · River2,720 cfs35% of normal
- Penobscot River at Bangor69 mi · River-2.99 ftstage -2.99 ft
- Kennebec River at Calumet Bridge at Augusta71 mi · River3.91 ftstage 3.91 ft
- Penobscot River at Eddington71 mi · River1.97 ftstage 1.97 ft
- Kennebec River at Hallowell73 mi · River4.32 ftstage 4.32 ft
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 01042500 — Kennebec River at The Forks, Maine
- Location
- 45.3397, -69.9619 · Maine
- Drainage area
- 1,590 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1904–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 4:00 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
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.