Dutch & Belgian Waterways River Water Levels Outlook, Week of August 11, 2025

Waterways are operating normally. The Rhine at Lobith ran near 78,000 cfs [2,215 m³/s] on August 3, with Rijkswaterstaat guiding a gradual ease toward about 63,600 cfs [1,800 m³/s] by mid-August.¹ Antwerp's tides on August 11 peak around 17.9 to 18.0 ft [5.46 to 5.48 m], standard spring-tide windows for Sea Scheldt calls.³ A hot, mostly dry pattern persists over the Low Countries, so travelers should just watch pier times and routine lock scheduling. ^5,6

Current Conditions

Primary gauge: Lobith [Rijn bij Lobith]. Recent discharge was about 78,000 cfs [2,215 m³/s] on August 3, trending toward an average near 63,600 cfs [1,800 m³/s] into mid-August. Risk level Normal across Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Ghent, and Antwerp routes, with daily operations mainly shaped by tides and locks rather than runoff. Coast and IJsselmeer show no special alerts in daily bulletins. ^1,7

Seven-Day Outlook

Chart unavailable. Official tide predictions list Antwerp highs near 17.9 ft [5.46 m] around 0607 and about 18.0 ft [5.48 m] around 1822 on Monday, August 11, then a gradual easing of the range later in the week.³ Forecast guidance keeps the Netherlands and Belgium warm to hot with limited rainfall, so runoff contributions stay small. Risk call for the next 7 days: Normal. ^5,6

Three-Week Risk Forecast

Rijkswaterstaat's low-water monitoring points to Rhine flow easing toward mid-August normals, while Belgium's tide-managed Scheldt continues to run on predictable windows, with heat limiting basin runoff. If you value flexibility, remember that most issues here stem from tide timing or occasional maintenance, not prolonged low water. ^1,3

Traveler Advice

Booked guests should expect Normal operations. In Antwerp and the lower Scheldt, spring tides make currents livelier and boarding windows more precise, so watch your line's pier-time emails 24 to 48 hours before arrival. Locks and bridges work to timetable, and minor shifts are handled within standard procedures.

Near-term shoppers can plan shore days as normal. Allow a little slack around coach departures because gangway slopes change with the tide, and bring heat gear for warm afternoons. Schedules in Amsterdam, Kinderdijk, Rotterdam, Ghent, and Bruges excursions typically proceed without river-level changes in summer.

Looking beyond three weeks, keep expectations steady. The network is highly managed with weirs and locks, so navigation is resilient to modest flow swings. If you want extra flexibility, consider a Cancel For Any Reason policy early in your purchase timeline.

Methodology

We use Rijkswaterstaat low-water and daily water reports for Rhine and Maas flows, Waterinfo Vlaanderen's manually curated Scheldt tide predictions and documentation, and KNMI and RMI forecasts for near-term weather, converting meters to feet and cubic meters per second to cubic feet per second using standard factors. ^1,7,3,4,5,6

Disclaimer

Forecasts beyond ten days are probabilistic and may change without notice. This information does not constitute financial or insurance advice.

Sources

1. Rijkswaterstaat, Droogtemonitor Rijn en Maas, Lobith flow update and mid-August outlook
2. Rijkswaterstaat, Maas high-water/flow note with 10-11 Aug discharge signal near 100 m³/s
3. Waterinfo Vlaanderen, official Scheldt tide predictions, Antwerp and Prosperpolder, issued Aug 10, 2025
4. Waterinfo Vlaanderen, "Meer info: getij" explaining manual tide forecasts and methodology
5. KNMI, national forecast, hot and mostly dry early week
6. Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, national forecast and heat information
7. Rijkswaterstaat, Waterbericht daily overview, coast and IJsselmeer with no special alerts