Karlsruhe / Maxau Water Level — Rhine
Official gauge: MAXAU · km 362.327 · Rhine
335cm
↑ +10 cm in 24h · ↑ +29 cm in 7 days
Today 335 cm
30-day average 319 cm · range 292–384 cm
Navigable depth here: about 173 cm— how this is worked out
Maintained fairway depth (210 cm) adjusted for today's reading against the official low-water reference GlW (372 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) | 353 cm |
|---|---|
| Mean water (MW) | 496 cm |
| Mean high water (MHW) | 785 cm |
| Low-water navigation reference (GlW) | 372 cm |
| Maintained fairway depth at GlW (TuGLW) | 210 cm |
| Highest navigable level (HSW) | 750 cm |
| Record low (NNW)set on 28 Jan 1885 | 231 cm |
| Record high (HHW)set on 14 May 1999 | 884 cm |
| Gauge zero (above sea level) | 97.72 m |
Our archive, recorded every 30 minutes since 18 Jul 2026
Measured by us from the live gauge feed.
| Today | 335 cm |
|---|---|
| 30-day average | 319 cm |
| 30-day low | 292 cm |
| 30-day high | 384 cm |
Where the Karlsruhe / Maxau gauge sits
Karlsruhe / Maxau is a gauge on the Rhine, at river kilometre 362.327. The official station is MAXAU, at 49.0390, 8.3056.
TODO(editorial): which stretch of river the Maxau gauge measures
Compare it with the rest of the river on the Rhine gauge overview.
How to read the Karlsruhe / Maxau 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 Karlsruhe / Maxau alone, so a number here cannot be compared with a number from another gauge.
- GlW, the low-water navigation reference: 372 cm. The level the maintained fairway depth on this stretch is quoted against.
- MNW, mean low water: 353 cm.
- MW, mean water: 496 cm.
- MHW, mean high water: 785 cm.
- Record low (NNW): 231 cm , set on 28 Jan 1885.
Where a mark reads “not available”, the operator does not publish it for this gauge and we do not estimate it.
Why Karlsruhe / Maxau matters for river cruising
TODO(editorial): why the Maxau gauge matters for river cruising
Itineraries that pass this point
TODO(editorial): which cruise itineraries pass Maxau
Background on how levels affect European sailings is in our river cruise water levels guide.
What today's status band means at Karlsruhe / Maxau
The reading is under the usual range but above the low-water navigation reference. Levels in this band are common and are watched rather than acted on.
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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