River Conditions
Illustrated map of Lake Lanier

River stage

Jackson, Ocmulgee River

River level
5.23 ft
Status
Below flood stage
7-day change
+1.36 ft
Recent high
6.35 ft
Recent low
3.86 ft

Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS JACG1

30-day change
+1.12 ft
Average
4.38 ft
Readings
122
Data span
122 days
Record crest
26.87 ft

In brief

The Ocmulgee River at Jackson, GA read 5.23 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 10.77 ft below action stage. That is 1.12 ft higher than 30 days earlier.

Source: National Weather Service gauge JACG1

River level timeline

3.54.35.15.96.7SEP 13SEP 18SEP 23SEP 28OCT 03OCT 08OCT 13HIGH 6.35LOW 3.865.32 ftLAST READING

Stage threshold profile

Action stage 16.00 ftMinor flooding 19.00 ftModerate flooding 23.00 ftMajor flooding 26.00 ft CURRENT 5.23 ft

Highest crests on record

RankCrestDate
1 26.87 ft 1994-07-06
2 26.80 ft 1919-12-11
3 23.90 ft 1948-11-28
4 20.96 ft 1990-03-18
5 20.80 ft 1946-01-08
6 19.78 ft 2024-09-28
7 19.32 ft 2015-12-26

Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.

What happens at each level

  1. 16.00 ft

    Bankfull conditions are reached in the woodlands upstream and downstream along the river from the stream gage near Georgia Highway 16.

  2. 19.00 ft

    Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands upstream and downstream along the river from the stream gage near Georgia Highway 16.

  3. 21.00 ft

    Minor flooding continues in the woodlands upstream and downstream along the river from the stream gage near Georgia Highway 16. The flood waters will approach Jackson Lake Road or Old Georgia Highway 221 on the left bank of the river from Lloyd Shoals Dam to Georgia Highway 16.

  4. 23.00 ft

    Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage near Georgia Highway 16. The flood waters will begin to cover low lying portions of Jackson Lake Road or Old Georgia Highway 221 that parallels the river on the left bank from Lloyd Shoals Dam to Georgia Highway 16.

  5. 25.00 ft

    Significant flooding continues and expands further into the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage near Georgia Highway 16. The flood waters will be from one to two feet deep over Jackson Lake Road or Old Georgia Highway 221 that parallels the river on the left bank from Lloyd Shoals Dam to Georgia Highway 16.

  6. 26.00 ft

    Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation flooding occurs in the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage near Georgia Highway 16. The flood waters will be from one to three feet deep over Jackson Lake Road or Old Georgia Highway 221 that parallels the river on the left bank from Lloyd Shoals Dam to Georgia Highway 16. A low lying portion of Stark Road on the right bank will begin to flood. The flooding will be similar to what occurred with Tropical Storm Alberto in July 1994.

  7. 27.00 ft

    Record flooding occurs with widespread inundation flooding occurring in the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage near Georgia Highway 16. The flooding will be worse than what occurred with Tropical Storm Alberto in July 1994. The flood waters will be up to 4 feet deep over Jackson Lake Road or Old Georgia Highway 221 that parallels the river on the left bank from Lloyd Shoals Dam to Georgia Highway 16. A low lying portion of Stark Road on the right bank will under a foot of water.

Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ocmulgee River flooding at Jackson?

No. The Ocmulgee River at Jackson is at 5.23 ft, 10.77 ft below action stage.

What is the flood stage at Jackson?

The National Weather Service sets action stage 16 ft, minor flooding 19 ft, moderate flooding 23 ft and major flooding 26 ft.

What is the highest the Ocmulgee River has been at Jackson?

The highest crest on record is 26.87 ft, on 1994-07-06.

Is the Ocmulgee River high or low right now at Jackson?

At 5.23 ft it is higher than 91% of readings over the last 122 days.

Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge JACG1); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 02210500). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.