St. John River at Fort Kent
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 4:30 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 22.50 ft
- Forecast crest
- 3.30 ftTue, Sep 22, 8:00 AM EDT
- Record crest
- 30.07 ft2008
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 26.50 ft |
| Moderate flood | 24.50 ft |
| Minor flood | 22.50 ft |
| Action | 18.00 ft |
- 29.70 ftDike along the Saint John River is overtopped, flooding downtown Fort Kent from Pearl Street to Blockhouse Road to Elm Street. Significant flooding of Residential and Commercial Structures between the Fish River to Market Street along East Main Street.
- 28.50 ftDufour Street is completely impassable flooding the Fort Kent Fire Department. East Main Street is impassable west of Market Street to Aroostook Road. Backwater issues on the Fish River and Perley Brook will threaten structures along Route 161 near Perley Brook.
- 27.50 ftNear record flooding. Dike and levee system at full capacity. Flooding of lower east Main Street inundating several structures in the center of town. Fish River Flooding combined with Backwater causes water to flow over the Fish River bridge. Residential structures off Baker Street begin to flood. Athletic fields of the University Campus underwater.
- 26.50 ftWidespread flooding of lower East Main Street inundating several structures in the center of town. Water flowing over the top of the Fish River bridge.
- 25.50 ftFish River nears the top of the Main Street Fish River bridge, bridge closed. Homes threatened on Meadow Lane, Blockhouse Road, Dufour Street and Church Street.
- 24.50 ftFish River Backwater begins to flood parking lots to businesses & residences between East Main Street and the Fish River. Flooding in low lying areas along State Route 161 upstream of Fort Kent.
- 22.50 ftLumber Yard near Fort Kent State Historic Site floods. Flood waters encroach on the State Historic Site.
- 20.00 ftLowland flooding between East Main Street, Market Street and the University Campus.
- 18.00 ftWater begins to get into the basements of some houses and structures upstream along the Fish River.
- 16.00 ftWater inundates agricultural lands between Fort Kent and Upper Frenchville along Route 1.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 14, 2026.
Crest history
44 crests on NOAA’s list since 1933.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 30, 2008 | 30.07 ft |
| 2 | April 30, 1979 | 27.31 ft |
| 3 | May 1, 1974 | 26.95 ft |
| 4 | April 17, 1994 | 26.60 ft |
| 5 | April 19, 1983 | 26.33 ft |
| 6 | April 30, 1973 | 25.76 ft |
| 7 | May 16, 1961 | 25.30 ft |
| 8 | May 11, 1969 | 25.11 ft |
| 9 | May 5, 1933 | 25.10 ft |
| 10 | April 26, 1958 | 24.55 ft |
| 11 | May 11, 1939 | 24.53 ft |
| 12 | May 5, 1942 | 24.04 ft |
| 13 | April 26, 2005 | 23.89 ft |
| 14 | April 2, 1998 | 23.88 ft |
| 15 | April 23, 2019 | 23.39 ft |
| 16 | April 11, 1991 | 23.27 ft |
| 17 | April 27, 1983 | 23.25 ft |
| 18 | May 1, 2018 | 22.51 ft |
| 19 | May 9, 1947 | 21.65 ft |
| 20 | April 2, 1987 | 21.44 ft |
| 21 | April 22, 1941 | 21.35 ft |
| 22 | May 2, 1984 | 21.05 ft |
| 23 | April 25, 1996 | 20.87 ft |
| 24 | March 31, 1953 | 20.41 ft |
| 25 | May 18, 1997 | 20.33 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 20, 2026: 19.68 ft
- April 15, 2024: 17.15 ft
- December 20, 2023: 15.56 ft
- April 19, 2023: 19.61 ft
- April 17, 2022: 17.99 ft
- April 11, 2021: 14.16 ft
- May 3, 2020: 17.25 ft
- April 23, 2019: 23.39 ft
- May 1, 2018: 22.51 ft
- April 30, 2008: 30.07 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Northeast River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. Gauge reading may be affected by ice. Forecast flows are unadjusted for ice. Gauge reading may be affected by ice. Forecast flows are unadjusted for ice. Digital Flood Inundation Maps for Fort Kent are available in KMZ and shapefile formats from the USGS in cooperation with FEMA. (<span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff;" href="https://fim.wim.usgs.gov/fim/">click here</a></span>)
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.