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Kentucky River at Frankfort Lock

Highest listed crest 48.47 ftFlood stage 31.0 ft61 crests since 1817

The Kentucky River at Frankfort Lock crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 61 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1817 to 2025. The highest, 48.47 ft on December 10, 1978, was major flooding, 17.47 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Kentucky River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
48.47 ft
December 10, 1978; 118,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
31.0 ft
Major flooding from 40.0 ft
Crests at major
10
9th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 7, 2025
48.35 ft, major flooding
Location
Franklin County
Near Frankfort (1.2 mi), Lawrenceburg (12.4 mi), Versailles (13.8 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Kentucky River at Frankfort Lock
Action stage29.07Mar 10, 1967The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)31.022Feb 25, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage35.022Feb 17, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage40.010Apr 7, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

61 crests from 1817 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kentucky River at Frankfort Lock, 1817 to 2025 3035404550ft Flood stage 31.0 ftMajor 40.0 ft Jan 1, 1817: 37.50 ft, moderate floodingJan 1, 1847: 37.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 1, 1854: 36.50 ft, moderate floodingFeb 1, 1880: 37.00 ft, moderate floodingFeb 1, 1883: 42.80 ft, major floodingFeb 24, 1897: 33.20 ft, minor flooding; 76,900 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1908: 30.30 ft, action stageFeb 24, 1909: 34.30 ft, minor flooding; 82,400 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1913: 35.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 27, 1913: 38.20 ft, moderate flooding; 93,000 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1915: 36.20 ft, moderate flooding; 89,800 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1917: 32.80 ft, minor flooding; 82,200 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1918: 31.50 ft, minor flooding; 74,800 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1919: 32.60 ft, minor flooding; 78,500 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1920: 33.50 ft, minor flooding; 82,800 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1924: 35.10 ft, moderate flooding; 87,700 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1924: 31.40 ft, minor flooding; 74,400 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1926: 34.90 ft, minor flooding; 72,700 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1927: 31.90 ft, minor flooding; 67,600 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1929: 30.50 ft, action stage; 75,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1932: 30.30 ft, action stage; 71,800 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1935: 33.50 ft, minor flooding; 79,700 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1937: 47.46 ft, major flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1939: 35.60 ft, moderate flooding; 88,800 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1943: 32.00 ft, minor flooding; 70,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1943: 33.76 ft, minor flooding; 81,500 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1945: 35.38 ft, moderate flooding; 78,400 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1946: 30.13 ft, action stage; 73,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1948: 35.61 ft, moderate flooding; 88,700 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1948: 35.27 ft, moderate floodingJan 7, 1950: 31.38 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1950: 37.84 ft, moderate flooding; 87,000 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1952: 33.21 ft, minor flooding; 76,400 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1955: 37.10 ft, moderate flooding; 84,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1956: 31.80 ft, minor flooding; 75,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1957: 35.46 ft, moderate flooding; 84,200 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1961: 30.85 ft, action stage; 58,100 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1962: 40.73 ft, major flooding; 95,700 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1963: 30.65 ft, action stage; 62,100 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1964: 38.71 ft, moderate flooding; 81,300 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1967: 30.27 ft, action stage; 68,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1972: 34.45 ft, minor flooding; 78,800 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1972: 42.25 ft, major flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1974: 34.46 ft, minor flooding; 79,100 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1975: 35.16 ft, moderate flooding; 77,900 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1978: 48.47 ft, major flooding; 118,000 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1984: 38.99 ft, moderate flooding; 91,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1989: 44.17 ft, major flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1990: 33.72 ft, minor flooding; 76,400 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1994: 34.63 ft, minor flooding; 86,800 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1995: 33.75 ft, minor flooding; 73,600 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1997: 45.22 ft, major flooding; 93,500 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2002: 35.81 ft, moderate flooding; 81,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2003: 35.16 ft, moderate flooding; 82,500 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2004: 34.41 ft, minor flooding; 75,100 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2010: 42.84 ft, major flooding; 103,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2015: 36.15 ft, moderate flooding; 87,690 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2019: 32.33 ft, minor flooding; 74,200 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2021: 40.16 ft, major flooding; 96,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2025: 39.40 ft, moderate flooding; 89,300 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2025: 48.35 ft, major flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 48.47 ft, Dec 10, 1978 18401880192019602000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kentucky River at Frankfort Lock 1810s: 1 1820s: 0 1830s: 0 1840s: 1 1850s: 1 1860s: 0 1870s: 0 1880s: 2 1890s: 1 1900s: 1 1910s: 6 6 1920s: 5 1930s: 3 1940s: 5 1950s: 6 1960s: 2 1970s: 5 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 3 1810s1830s1850s1870s1890s1910s1930s1950s1970s1990s2010s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 61 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kentucky River at Frankfort Lock
1Dec 10, 197848.47+17.47Major118,000
2Apr 7, 202548.35+17.35Major110,000
3Jan 25, 193747.46+16.46Major115,000
4Mar 3, 199745.22+14.22Major93,500
5Feb 16, 198944.17+13.17Major106,000
6May 5, 201042.84+11.84Major103,000
7Feb 1, 188342.80+11.80Major—
8Apr 16, 197242.25+11.25Major101,000
9Mar 1, 196240.73+9.73Major95,700
10Mar 5, 202140.16+9.16Major96,000
11Feb 17, 202539.40+8.40Moderate89,300
12May 9, 198438.99+7.99Moderate91,700
13Mar 10, 196438.71+7.71Moderate81,300
14Mar 27, 191338.20+7.20Moderate93,000
15Feb 2, 195037.84+6.84Moderate87,000
16Jan 1, 181737.50+6.50Moderate—
17Mar 6, 195537.10+6.10Moderate84,000
18Jan 1, 184737.00+6.00Moderate—
19Feb 1, 188037.00+6.00Moderate—
20Mar 1, 185436.50+5.50Moderate—
21Dec 19, 191536.20+5.20Moderate89,800
22Apr 5, 201536.15+5.15Moderate87,690
23Mar 22, 200235.81+4.81Moderate81,900
24Jan 11, 191335.80+4.80Moderate—
25Feb 17, 194835.61+4.61Moderate88,700
26Feb 7, 193935.60+4.60Moderate88,800
27Feb 3, 195735.46+4.46Moderate84,200
28Mar 7, 194535.38+4.38Moderate78,400
29Apr 15, 194835.27+4.27Moderate—
30Mar 30, 197535.16+4.16Moderate77,900
31Feb 20, 200335.16+4.16Moderate82,500
32Jan 4, 192435.10+4.10Moderate87,700
33Dec 26, 192634.90+3.90Minor72,700
34Mar 11, 199434.63+3.63Minor86,800
35Jan 14, 197434.46+3.46Minor79,100
36Feb 27, 197234.45+3.45Minor78,800
37Jun 1, 200434.41+3.41Minor75,100
38Feb 24, 190934.30+3.30Minor82,400
39Dec 31, 194333.76+2.76Minor81,500
40May 20, 199533.75+2.75Minor73,600
41Dec 31, 199033.72+2.72Minor76,400
42Jan 10, 192033.50+2.50Minor82,800
43Mar 13, 193533.50+2.50Minor79,700
44Mar 26, 195233.21+2.21Minor76,400
45Feb 24, 189733.20+2.20Minor76,900
46Jan 22, 191732.80+1.80Minor82,200
47Jan 2, 191932.60+1.60Minor78,500
48Feb 25, 201932.33+1.33Minor74,200
49Mar 20, 194332.00+1.00Minor70,000
50Jan 22, 192731.90+0.90Minor67,600

The worst floods along the Kentucky River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Kentucky River that crested above flood stage within a week.

December 10, 1978: 48.47 ft here, major flooding

  • High Bridge LockKY · Dec 8, 1978 · 53.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • LockportKY · Dec 11, 1978 · 51.65 ft · Major
  • Ford LockKY · Dec 10, 1978 · 40.15 ft · Major · its highest
  • HeidelbergKY · Dec 9, 1978 · 28.32 ft · Moderate

April 7, 2025: 48.35 ft here, major flooding

  • LockportKY · Apr 7, 2025 · 53.71 ft · Major
  • High Bridge LockKY · Apr 6, 2025 · 47.20 ft · Major
  • Camp NelsonKY · Apr 6, 2025 · 47.04 ft · Major · its highest
  • RavennaKY · Apr 5, 2025 · 32.02 ft · Major
  • Ford LockKY · Apr 6, 2025 · 35.00 ft · Moderate

January 25, 1937: 47.46 ft here, major flooding

  • LockportKY · Jan 26, 1937 · 56.85 ft · Major · its highest
  • High Bridge LockKY · Jan 23, 1937 · 42.20 ft · Major
  • Camp NelsonKY · Jan 23, 1937 · 41.20 ft · Major
  • RavennaKY · Jan 24, 1937 · 27.47 ft · Moderate
  • Ford LockKY · Jan 23, 1937 · 30.60 ft · Minor
  • HeidelbergKY · Jan 26, 1937 · 21.40 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Kentucky River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Kentucky River
HeidelbergKY20.035.60 ft, Feb 4, 19399
RavennaKY21.040.30 ft, Mar 2, 202112
Ford LockKY26.040.15 ft, Dec 10, 19781
Camp NelsonKY30.047.04 ft, Apr 6, 20256
High Bridge LockKY30.053.10 ft, Dec 8, 19786
Frankfort Lock this gaugeKY31.048.47 ft, Dec 10, 197810
LockportKY33.056.85 ft, Jan 26, 19376

Other gauges in Franklin County

Flood gauges in Franklin County
Peaks Mill10.017.96 ft, Mar 4, 199711

Franklin County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Kentucky

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FFTK2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.