River levels · WSV
Rhine water level at Kaub
How low is the Rhine at the shallowest point of its main shipping route? The Kaub gauge as Germany's waterways agency publishes it, the official forecast, and the levels the agency sets for the gauge.
Below the lowest level WSV lists
The latest reading is below 25 cm, the lowest level WSV lists (October 2018). WSV's low-water reference (GlW) is 77 cm.
Reading for , as the agency publishes it.
Data last fetched . Fetched three times a day.
Measured, then forecast
The BfG forecast, issued 18 October 2026, 07:00 UTC+2, ends at 28 cm on 22 October. Its lowest point is 11 cm, on 18 October. The forecast is at or below WSV's low-water reference (GlW).
The forecast, day by day
| Day | Lowest | Highest | Published as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 October | 11 cm | 11 cm | forecast |
| Mon 19 October | 11 cm | 21 cm | forecast |
| Tue 20 October | 21 cm | 24 cm | forecast, then estimate |
| Wed 21 October | 24 cm | 27 cm | estimate |
| Thu 22 October | 27 cm | 28 cm | estimate |
BfG labels the first days a forecast and later days an estimate, which is less certain. Both are shown as published. Times are as the agency publishes them (UTC+2).
Against the levels WSV publishes
| Level | cm | Date | Reading vs level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equivalent low water (GlW), WSV's reference low level for shipping | 77 | 1 Jan 2023 | −70 cm |
| Highest navigable level (HSW) | 640 | 1 Jan 1950 | −633 cm |
| Mean low water (MNW) | 65 | Nov 2010 to Oct 2020 | −58 cm |
| Mean water level (MW) | 208 | Nov 2010 to Oct 2020 | −201 cm |
| Lowest known level (NNW) | 25 | 22 Oct 2018 | −18 cm |
From the agency's gauge page, which defines each level. The last column is the latest reading, 7 cm, minus each level.
What the reading is
The shallowest point on the Rhine's main shipping route between the North Sea ports and southern Germany and Switzerland. The gauge reading is a reference level, not the depth of the channel; barges load less as it falls. PEGELONLINE levels are raw readings, published before WSV checks them.
The site fetches the agency's feed three times a day and shows the last 30 days at six-hour steps; the 30-day low and high use every published reading. Source: WSV PEGELONLINE; forecast by the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Datenlizenz Deutschland – Zero 2.0.
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