nautic.lu Luxembourg · Maritime Solutions

The Moselle

Water levels and gauges

On the Moselle the water level decides more than just draught: it governs the clearance under bridges, the current in the impounded reaches and, beyond a certain point, whether you may navigate at all.

Wooded Moselle bank with houses reflected in the water

Water levels now

Every Moselle gauge from Apach to Koblenz, straight from PEGELONLINE run by the German waterways administration. Refreshed every 20 minutes.

Official water levels at the Moselle gauges
km Gauge Level vs. MW Trend Situation Mark I Mark II HSW
241.8 Perl 212 cm −34 cm falling normal
230.5 Stadtbredimus upstream 611 cm* falling normal
229.44 Stadtbredimus downstream 223 cm* steady normal 370 cm 450 cm 530 cm
222.2 Wincheringen 225 cm* steady normal
213.3 Grevenmacher upstream 845 cm* steady normal
212.5 Grevenmacher downstream 207 cm −23 cm steady normal 520 cm
196.2 Trier upstream 930 cm* falling normal
195.3 Trier downstream 221 cm −83 cm steady normal 520 cm 580 cm 695 cm
185.94 Ruwer 217 cm −43 cm steady low
171.7 Mehring AMS 219 cm* steady normal
167.7 Detzem upstream 1,121 cm* rising normal
165.4 Detzem downstream 220 cm* steady normal 705 cm
141.7 Wintrich upstream 970 cm* steady normal
141.1 Wintrich downstream 221 cm* steady normal 675 cm
124.1 Zeltingen upstream 825 cm* steady normal
123.4 Zeltingen downstream 228 cm −85 cm steady low 695 cm
103.13 Enkirch upstream 970 cm* steady normal
102.6 Enkirch downstream 223 cm* rising normal 780 cm
78.48 Sankt Aldegund upstream 921 cm* steady normal
78.1 Sankt Aldegund downstream 231 cm* steady normal 775 cm
59.7 Fankel upstream 919 cm* steady normal
58.9 Fankel downstream 222 cm* steady normal 780 cm
51.6 Cochem 214 cm −59 cm falling normal 450 cm 500 cm 600 cm
37.47 Müden upstream 870 cm* steady normal
36.8 Müden downstream 221 cm* steady normal 730 cm
21.04 Lehmen upstream 966 cm* steady normal
20.37 Lehmen downstream 201 cm* steady normal 715 cm
2.11 Koblenz upstream 202 cm* steady normal

Readings from different gauges are NOT comparable with one another: each gauge has its own zero, and an upstream gauge measures the impounded level above the weir. What compares is the “vs. MW” column — the deviation from that station’s own mean level. Stations marked * carry no reference value — usually upstream gauges at a weir, measuring the impounded level.

Mark I: restrictions on navigation. Mark II: navigation stops. HSW: highest navigable water level. Not every gauge carries all three — an empty cell means none is defined for that station.

Retrieved: 21 Sep 2026, 12:52 · Official WSV reading, reproduced without warranty. ELWIS and the notices to skippers are what count.

The three marks that matter

Mark I

First flood mark. From here restrictions apply: reduced speed, navigation bans in certain areas, stricter reporting duties. For leisure boats this is the point to hold back — the current increases noticeably and debris starts coming down.

Mark II

Second flood mark. Navigation is suspended. Anyone still on the water then has a problem — and not only a legal one. The locks go into flood operation or close entirely.

HNWL

Highest navigable water level. It is the reference for the clearances stated under bridges. If the gauge rises above it, clearance is no longer guaranteed — but by then nobody is navigating anyway.

Low water

The other extreme, increasingly an issue in dry summers. The three-metre fairway depth is a target, not a promise. During sustained low water, loading restrictions apply; for leisure boats drawing under 1.50 m the route generally stays navigable.

Messstellen

Gauges on the Moselle

km 229.86Gauge

Stadtbredimus gauge

Stadtbredimus · LU

Luxembourg gauge at the barrage. Current readings from the flood and water-level service inondations.lu.

Operator
Administration de la gestion de l'eau
km 195.30Gauge

Trier gauge

Trier · DE

The main reference gauge for the Upper Moselle. At flood mark I navigation is restricted; at mark II it is suspended.

Highest navigable level
Highest navigable water level — see ELWIS
Marks
Flood mark I: restrictions, mark II: navigation suspended
Where to check
Automatic water level announcement by the WSV

Where to find the current data

These are the sources — separate for Luxembourg, Germany and France, because the Moselle passes through three administrations.

ServiceResponsible forWhat you find there
ELWIS German federal waterways Gauges, forecasts, notices to skippers, closures, lock operating hours
PegelOnline German gauging stations Current readings every quarter hour, hydrographs, open data interface
inondations.lu Luxembourg Water levels and flood forecasts for the Moselle, Sauer, Our and Alzette
Vigicrues France, upper reaches Flood situation on the French Moselle above Apach
WSA Mosel-Saar-Lahn Moselle waterway Operating notices, lock closures, construction work

Practical advice for planning the day

Check three things before casting off: the current level at the nearest gauge, the forecast for the coming forty-eight hours, and the notices to skippers. The last is the most commonly overlooked — a lock closed for maintenance can make a day passage impossible, and that appears nowhere in the gauge reading.

When the water is rising: better into harbour a day early than a day late. The Moselle rises quickly after heavy rain in the catchment, and berths in the sheltered harbours fill up fast.

No need to keep checking

Get an email when a gauge crosses Mark I, Mark II or HSW — including the all-clear, free of charge.

Set up level alerts

Something to offer? Boat, mooring or rental — free, no account, two minutes to fill in. Usually live within a day.

Post for free
SOS