Köln gauge Rhine · km 688

Activity outlook

• 🚢 Shippingrestricted

  • ✓ no flood (below HSW)
  • ✗ not below mean low water (MNW)
  • ✓ level not high (below MHW)
• 🛶 Paddlingtake care

  • ✓ no flood (below HSW)
  • ✓ level not high (below MHW)
  • ✗ not below mean low water (MNW)
  • ✓ change over 24 h ≤ 20 cm
• 🎣 Fishingsuitable

  • ✓ no flood (below HSW)
  • ✓ level not high (below MHW)
  • ✓ change over 24 h ≤ 30 cm
• 🏊 Swimmingnot enough data

  • ✓ no flood (below HSW)
  • ✓ level not high (below MHW)
  • ? water temperature ≥ 15 °C
  • ? water temperature ≥ 18 °C
  • ✓ EU bathing site ≤ 5 km rated excellent/good
  • ✗ not a federal waterway with shipping

• Status: low · 24 h trend: +3 cm · Vingster Baggersee Begrenzungspfosten (Excellent, 4.6 km)

Calculated by fixed rules from official data. For orientation only – not a safety guarantee. Always check official warnings and conditions on site. See the rules

🔔 Notify me

Paddling: access points & locks

Put-ins and slipways (≤ 5 km)

• Slipway 3 km
• Slipway: Wasserzugangsstelle (slipway) 4.4 km

Marinas (≤ 10 km)

• Marina: Rheinau Sporthafen Köln Marina RSK 1 km
• Marina: Deutz 1.6 km
• Marina: Bootshaus Rhein Roxy 4.5 km
• Marina: Bootshaus Albatros 5 km

Locks (≤ 10 km)

• Lock 9.8 km

Straight-line distance from the gauge. Entries from OpenStreetMap, not officially verified; check lock hours with the WSV.

Long-distance cycle routes nearby

• EuroVelo 15 - Rheinradweg - Verbindung Köln Deutzer Brücke 0.2 km
• EV4 Germany, Köln - Koblenz 0.2 km
• EuroVelo 15 - Rheinradweg - Verbindung Köln Hohenzollernbrücke 0.4 km
• EuroVelo 15 - Rheinradweg - Teilstrecke Köln - Moers 0.5 km
• EuroVelo 15 - Rheinradweg - Teilstrecke Kamp-Bornhofen - Köln 0.5 km
• Pilgerroute NRW 0.7 km

EuroVelo, German D-network and other long-distance routes passing within 3 km of the gauge (straight-line distance to the nearest route point). Check the route and its condition locally.

Fishing: Nordrhein-Westfalen

Closed season today: Bachforelle, Aal, Lachs

Fishing rules Nordrhein-Westfalen →

State derived from the gauge location; on border waters check both states. Checked 2026-10-18

Gauges up- and downstream

• ↑ upstream Oberwinter km 638.2 13 cm ▼ low
• ↑ upstream Bonn km 654.8 84 cm ▼ low
• ↓ downstream Düsseldorf km 744.2 19 cm ▼ low
• ↓ downstream Duisburg-Ruhrort km 780.8 152 cm ▼ low

Rhine: gauges →

Records & flood chronicle

Highest on record (HHW)

1,069 cm · 1 Jan 1926

Lowest on record (NNW)

69 cm · 23 Oct 2018

Today vs. record

1,003 cm below HHW; 3 cm below the previous record low (NNW)

Documented floods on this river (HANZE)

• 1 Jan 2003: river, 6 deaths, 106 m € losses (2020 prices)
• 22 Jan 1995: river, 3 deaths, 375 m € losses (2020 prices)
• 20 Dec 1993: river, 5 deaths, 891 m € losses (2020 prices)
• 26 Mar 1988: river, 6 deaths, 43 m € losses (2020 prices)

Flood chronicle Germany & Norway →

Water body status (EU Water Framework Directive)

• RHEIN DERW_DENW2_639_701
  Ecological potential: moderate (2018--2019) · Chemical: failing to achieve good · heavily modified/artificial
  Good status expected: after 2027

Official assessment of the water body at this gauge from the 2022 river basin management plans (WFD target: at least “good”). It rates the whole water body, not today’s water quality.

Analysis

• Rhine low water 2026: Kaub gauge below the 2018 record

Location

Sources & licences

• Water level/Discharge/Water temperature: PEGELONLINE (WSV), DL-DE Zero 2.0
• Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenFreeMap