See all 9 routes on Levisa Fork
Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky
Levisa Fork
Jubilee Christian Church 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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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Best window today
Checking weather.
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 Jubilee Christian Church Ramp and take out about 8.5 miles downstream at Thompson Road Canoe Access for the full Pikeville Hatfield-McCoy River Trail day. KDFWR keeps the same good Pikeville gauge band of 800 to 1,400 cfs, or 7.4 to 8.5 ft.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Put-in
Jubilee Christian Church RampOpen mapKDFWR says parking near Jubilee is limited and that paddlers should ask permission before using the church paved lot.
Take-out
Thompson Road Canoe AccessOpen mapThompson Road is a KDFWR single-lane ramp with year-round availability and a larger parking area, but the surrounding banks remain private or heavily vegetated.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- KDFWR says parking near Jubilee is limited and that paddlers should ask permission before using the church paved lot.
- Thompson Road is a KDFWR single-lane ramp with year-round availability and a larger parking area, but the surrounding banks remain private or heavily vegetated.
- The current Pikeville gauge reading was below the official good band during this run. Expect slower current, shallower shoals, and a longer day than the mileage suggests until levels rise.
- Stay with the named public accesses and do not assume commercial lots or private banks along the corridor are general river-user parking or stopping points.
Watch for
- Low water below 800 cfs or 7.4 ft, when shoals get shallower and dragging can stack up over the course of a longer day.
- 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.
- Fatigue, private-bank limits, and urban corridor distractions near the Thompson Road finish after a full Pikeville float.
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
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 chainJubilee Christian Church Ramp to Cedar Creek Ramp 5.5 miles plus Cedar Creek Ramp to Thompson Road Ramp 3.0 miles
The current KDFWR Levisa Fork mileage table publishes both linked public segments, supporting an about 8.5-mile Jubilee to Thompson Road route on the same corridor and gauge.
- Planner modelCanonical Pikeville corridor with intermediate public accesses
This slug keeps Jubilee as the upstream launch and Thompson Road as the downstream finish while the trip details preserve Island Creek and Cedar Creek as named public mid-route options, avoiding redundant one-gauge Pikeville permutations.
- Put-in accessJubilee Christian Church Canoe Access, 37.4445, -82.5057
KDFWR identifies Jubilee Christian Church Canoe Access as a free carry-down site with limited parking and notes that paddlers should ask permission before using the church paved lot.
- 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, published coordinates, and a larger parking area.
- Route characterLonger Pikeville gorge and Cut-Through float
The KDFWR education page describes the upper Pikeville float as gentle riffles, deep pools, and flowing shoals and says paddlers may continue beyond Cedar Creek to the lower Thompson Road take-out.
- Live-gauge supportUSGS 03209500
USGS Water Services returned 279 cfs at 2026-07-02 23:30 EDT and 6.32 ft at 2026-07-03 00:00 EDT for Levisa Fork at Pikeville, below the official good 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
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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More routes to check next
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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 Jubilee Christian Church Ramp and ends at Thompson Road Canoe Access, about About 8.5 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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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.