Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg water level

Name: Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Big Shoe Heel Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

1.31ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:45 AM EDT (42 min ago)

Flow: 25.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 1.31 ft, Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg is below normal for late October.

That puts it 0.65 ft below the median of 1.96 ft for late October, based on 39 years of readings. It is 6.69 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.52 ft (−0.21 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.98 ft and 1.86 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.96 ft0.65 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.12 ft – 3.45 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (39 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.52 ft−0.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.98 ft – 1.86 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.63 ft – 3.53 ft
Highest on record: 9.49 ftSeptember 17, 2018

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 8.00 ft, still 6.69 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Water inundates the US-74 bridge.
10.00 ft: Moderate flooding continues between US-74 and Old Maxton Road. Water covers roadways adjacent to bridges across Big Shoe Heel Creek and reaches the bases of buildings near the creek on Old Lumberton Road.
9.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins between US-74 and Old Maxton Road. Water encroaches upon residential areas near Old Lumberton Road and floods portions of Old Maxton Road near the bridge over Big Shoe Heel Creek.
8.00 ft: Minor flooding begins upstream and downstream of the gage site on US-74 Business. Big Shoe Heel Creek overflows its banks into wooded areas from US-74 to Old Maxton Road.
1.31 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.49 ft	September 17, 2018

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:37 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lumber River near MaxtonRiver gauge, Lumber River	6.86 ft	Low	+0.05 ft	3.5 mi
Rockfish Creek at RaefordRiver gauge, Rockfish Creek	2.85 ft	Very low	−0.14 ft	20 mi
Drowning Creek near HoffmanRiver gauge, Drowning Creek	1.38 ft	Very low	−0.31 ft	22 mi
Lumber River at LumbertonRiver gauge, Lumber River	7.32 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	23 mi
Little Pee Dee River near DillonRiver gauge, Little Pee Dee River	107 cfs	Very low	−4.0 cfs	24 mi
Pee Dee River near BennettsvilleRiver gauge, Pee Dee River	54.26 ft	Low	−3.50 ft	25 mi
Pee Dee River at CherawRiver gauge, Pee Dee River	3.75 ft	Normal	−0.68 ft	28 mi
Beaver Creek at CumberlandRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	2.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

How does Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg compare with last year?

It is 0.21 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.52 ft.

What is flood stage for Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 6.69 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg in late October?

The median for late October is 1.96 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.12 ft and 3.45 ft, based on 39 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:45 AM EDT, the water level was 1.31 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.14 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02132320 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.75056, -79.38667 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	1.31 ft	2026-10-21 05:45	Provisional
Flow	25.0 cfs	2026-10-21 05:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Shoe Heel Creek near Laurinburg (usgs:02132320). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/big-shoe-heel-creek-near-laurinburg

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer