See all 9 routes on Levisa Fork
Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky
Levisa Fork
Island Creek Ramp to Thompson Road Ramp
Check current paddling conditions for this Levisa Fork route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Today's conditions
Gauge
Recent trend
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Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Best window today
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Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Island Creek Ramp and take out 4.5 miles downstream at Thompson Road Canoe Access for the longer Pikeville Cut-Through continuation. KDFWR keeps the same good Pikeville gauge band of 800 to 1,400 cfs, or 7.4 to 8.5 ft.
Put-in
Island Creek RampOpen mapIsland Creek is a carry-down access behind the South Mayo Trail commercial corridor with unpaved parking and no amenities.
Take-out
Thompson Road Canoe AccessOpen mapThompson Road is a KDFWR single-lane ramp with year-round availability, but nearby banks are private or thickly vegetated; land at the signed access rather than spreading onto nearby banks.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Island Creek is a carry-down access behind the South Mayo Trail commercial corridor with unpaved parking and no amenities.
- Thompson Road is a KDFWR single-lane ramp with year-round availability, but nearby banks are private or thickly vegetated; land at the signed access rather than spreading onto nearby banks.
- The current Pikeville gauge reading was below the official good discharge band during this run, though the stage just touched the official 7.4 ft floor. Expect slower current, shallower shoals, and more route-finding around exposed gravel or mussel-shell areas until levels rise further.
- KDFWR limits bank and wade fishing at these sites because surrounding land is private, steep, rocky, or heavily vegetated. Stay with the documented public ramps.
Watch for
- Low water below 800 cfs or 7.4 ft, when shoals get shallower and dragging becomes more likely.
- High water above 1,400 cfs or 8.5 ft, when KDFWR moves the route out of the good band and swift current plus woody debris become much less forgiving.
- Mussel shells on the river bottom, woody debris, bridge-area current, and fishing traffic in the Pikeville corridor.
- Urban corridor hazards, private banks, and complacency near the busy Thompson Road finish after a longer easy-looking float.
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Levisa Fork at Pikeville, KY |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 800 cfs to 1,400 cfs |
| Low threshold | 800 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,400 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | KDFWR recommended river levels for Levisa Fork at Pikeville |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official level band800-1,400 cfs / 7.4-8.5 ft
KDFWR rates Levisa Fork at Pikeville as Low below 800 cfs or 7.4 ft, Good from 800 to 1,400 cfs or 7.4 to 8.5 ft, and High above 1,400 cfs or 8.5 ft.
- Official route chainIsland Creek Ramp to Cedar Creek Ramp about 1.5 miles plus Cedar Creek Ramp to Thompson Road Ramp 3.0 miles
Current KDFWR Levisa Fork materials still support both linked public segments, supporting an about 4.5-mile Island Creek to Thompson Road continuation on the same river and gauge.
- Put-in accessIsland Creek Ramp, 37.4646, -82.5284
KDFWR identifies Island Creek Ramp as a free carry-down access behind the South Mayo Trail corridor with unpaved parking and no amenities.
- Take-out accessThompson Road Canoe Access, 37.5096, -82.5435
KDFWR identifies Thompson Road Canoe Access as a free single-lane ramp with year-round 24-hour availability and published coordinates.
- Route characterPikeville Cut-Through public float
The KDFWR education page says paddlers can extend past Cedar Creek to the lower Thompson Road take-out after passing through the Pikeville Cut-Through section.
- Live-gauge supportUSGS 03209500
USGS Water Services returned 628 cfs at 2026-07-14 10:30 EDT and 7.46 ft at 2026-07-14 11:00 EDT for Levisa Fork at Pikeville, still below the official good discharge band but just inside the official stage band.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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Reports
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Quick answers
Levisa Fork paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Levisa Fork?
Paddle Today watches Levisa Fork at Pikeville, KY and treats 800 cfs to 1,400 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Levisa Fork route start and end?
This route starts at Island Creek Ramp and ends at Thompson Road Canoe Access, about About 4.5 mi on the water.
Is this Levisa Fork route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
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