Merrimack River below Concord River at Lowell
River flow & level · USGS gauge 01100000 · Massachusetts · drains 4,635 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 3:30 PM · streamflow
The Merrimack River at Concord River at Lowell is running 2,250 cfs, 61% of the median flow for October 26 (3,680 cfs, 103 years). Gage height is 42.15 ft, 9.9 ft below flood stage (52.0 ft). Flow is down 18% from 24 hours ago.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumAction (50.0 ft) is 7.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (52.0 ft) is 9.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (54.0 ft) is 11.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (58.0 ft) is 15.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Merrimack River below Concord River at Lowell fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETFlow 61% of normal, flow falling, light W wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:20 AM–8:20 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 72°F / low 37°FSunny
- WindLight W5–7 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 12
- Flow61% of normalFlow falling (-18% in 24 h)
Official Massachusetts fishing info: MassWildlife — Trout stocking report & Go Fish MA
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 7:11 AM · Sunset 5:45 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot11:50 AM–1:50 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:20 AM–8:20 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:12 PM–6:12 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 11:50 AM–1:50 PM Minor 7:20 AM–8:20 AM · 5:12 PM–6:12 PM Light wind 5–7 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:19 AM–2:19 AM · 12:49 PM–2:49 PM Minor 8:40 AM–9:40 AM · 5:50 PM–6:50 PM Light wind 5–7 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:19 AM–3:19 AM · 1:51 PM–3:51 PM Minor 9:58 AM–10:58 AM · 6:40 PM–7:40 PM Calm wind 1–4 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:23 AM–4:23 AM · 2:56 PM–4:56 PM Minor 11:10 AM–12:10 PM · 7:42 PM–8:42 PM Light wind 4–8 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:28 AM–5:28 AM · 3:59 PM–5:59 PM Minor 12:09 PM–1:09 PM · 8:54 PM–9:54 PM Light wind 5–9 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:30 AM–6:30 AM · 5:00 PM–7:00 PM Minor 12:55 PM–1:55 PM · 10:11 PM–11:11 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:28 AM–6:28 AM · 4:55 PM–6:55 PM Minor 12:31 PM–1:31 PM · 10:28 PM–11:28 PM Calm wind 1–5 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 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)
| 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 42.65, -71.30 (moon times from astronomical equations, Merrimack River below Concord River at Lowell local time).
Weather & wind at Merrimack River below Concord River at Lowell
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon72° / 37°SunnyWind W 6 mphRain 2%
- Tuesday54° / 26°SunnyWind N 7 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday58° / 38°SunnyWind W 3 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 42.646, -71.298 (grid BOX), issued Oct 26, 3:01 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 LOWM3- Action stage50 ft+7.9 ft from now
- Minor stage52 ft+9.9 ft from now
- Moderate stage54 ft+11.9 ft from now
- Major stage58 ft+15.9 ft from now
- Record crest68.4 ft1936
October 26 in history
103 years of flow records- Today2,250 cfs
- Same date last year3,030 cfs2025
- Median3,680 cfs
- Normal range2,340 cfs – 7,070 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 192438,800 cfs2006
- Lowest since 1924286 cfs1942
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 2,406 | -12% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 2,730 | +13% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 2,410 | -15% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 2,820 | -10% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 3,130 | +10% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 2,850 | -25% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 3,800 | -8% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 4,150 | -0% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 4,160 | -5% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 4,380 | -9% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Merrimack River at Lawrence8 mi · River9.25 ftstage 9.25 ft
- Upper Mystic Lake, Gate House17 mi · Lake · Winchester114.25 ft24h ±0.00 ft
- Fresh Pond in Gate House20 mi · Lake · Cambridge15.95 ft24h −0.03 ft
- Kingsbury Pond36 mi · Lake · Norfolk126.20 ft24h ±0.00 ft
- Long Pond59 mi · Lake · Parkhurst Drive near Lakeville53.35 ft24h −0.01 ft
- Connecticut River near Northfield60 mi · River4,420 cfsstage 11.36 ft
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 01100000 — Merrimack River Bl Concord River At Lowell, Ma
- Location
- 42.6459, -71.2984 · Massachusetts
- Drainage area
- 4,635 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1924–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 3:30 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge LOWM3 — 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.