Cologne Water Level — Rhine
Official gauge: KÖLN · km 688 · Rhine
47cm
↑ +3 cm in 24h · ↓ −8 cm in 7 days
Today 47 cm — below the record low of 69 cm
30-day average 72 cm · range 44–123 cm
22 cm BELOW the official record low of 69 cm set on 23 Oct 2018
Navigable depth here: about 158 cm— how this is worked out
Maintained fairway depth (250 cm) adjusted for today's reading against the official low-water reference GlW (139 cm). Published by WSV. This is the fairway, not a clearance for any particular ship.
Last 30 days
Free for media use with credit to RiverCruise.ai.
Official reference values (WSV)
Published by the Wasserstrassen- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes. Republished unchanged.
| Mean low water (MNW) | 114 cm |
|---|---|
| Mean water (MW) | 297 cm |
| Mean high water (MHW) | 725 cm |
| Low-water navigation reference (GlW) | 139 cm |
| Maintained fairway depth at GlW (TuGLW) | 250 cm |
| Highest navigable level (HSW) | 830 cm |
| Record low (NNW)set on 23 Oct 2018 | 69 cm |
| Record high (HHW)set on 1 Jan 1926 | 1069 cm |
| Gauge zero (above sea level) | 35.04 m |
Our archive, recorded every 30 minutes since 18 Jul 2026
Measured by us from the live gauge feed.
| Today | 47 cm |
|---|---|
| 30-day average | 72 cm |
| 30-day low | 44 cm |
| 30-day high | 123 cm |
Where the Cologne gauge sits
Cologne is a gauge on the Rhine, at river kilometre 688. The official station is KÖLN, at 50.9369, 6.9633.
TODO(editorial): which stretch of river the Cologne gauge measures
Compare it with the rest of the river on the Rhine gauge overview.
How to read the Cologne gauge
A gauge reading is a height at this one point, not a depth of water under a ship. Every reference mark below belongs to Cologne alone, so a number here cannot be compared with a number from another gauge.
- GlW, the low-water navigation reference: 139 cm. The level the maintained fairway depth on this stretch is quoted against.
- MNW, mean low water: 114 cm.
- MW, mean water: 297 cm.
- MHW, mean high water: 725 cm.
- Record low (NNW): 69 cm , set on 23 Oct 2018.
Where a mark reads “not available”, the operator does not publish it for this gauge and we do not estimate it.
Why Cologne matters for river cruising
TODO(editorial): why the Cologne gauge matters for river cruising
Itineraries that pass this point
TODO(editorial): which cruise itineraries pass Cologne
Background on how levels affect European sailings is in our river cruise water levels guide.
What today's status band means at Cologne
The reading is well below the low-water navigation reference for this gauge. This is the band in which operators most often reshape a sailing — swapping ships, reversing a route or coaching between ports.
This page publishes measured water levels only. It is not a forecast and not a statement about any sailing: only your cruise line can tell you about your sailing.
Source: PEGELONLINE · measured · this page always shows live conditions and is safe to share.
LET US WATCH THE RIVERS FOR YOU
Reading gauges is the easy part — knowing what a given level means for your specific ship, cabin and sailing date is where experience matters. Our specialists monitor conditions for clients every day and help you choose lines built to handle changing water.
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