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Cape Fear River at Lillington water level

River gauge, Cape Fear River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.07ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
396 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 33.19 ft Minor floodstage 14.00 ft

History

51015ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Minor flood stage51015ftOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Minor flood stage
-051015ftSep 21Sep 29Oct 8Oct 16Oct 25Minor flood stage-051015ftSep 21Oct 8Oct 25Minor flood stage
-051015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-051015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:40 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Cape Fear River at Lillington is at 2.07 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.62 ft, based on 30 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.45 ft above typical. It is 11.93 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.36 ft, a difference of +0.71 ft.

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.99 ft and 2.55 ft.

Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.62 ft0.45 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.08 ft – 7.33 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year
1.36 ft+0.71 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.99 ft – 2.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.75 ft – 5.05 ft
Highest on record
33.19 ftSeptember 19, 1945
Forecast peak
2.10 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Cape Fear River at Lillington

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 11.93 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

34.00 ft
Water reaches the road surface of the northbound 421 bridge.
30.00 ft
Water reaches the base of the northbound Highway 421 bridge.
27.00 ft
Major flooding begins. Flooding reaches Mermaid Point Restaurant on the south bank.
19.00 ft
Moderate flooding begins. The storm drains on the north bank are inundated and water reaches the water treatment plant. Homes on Riverside Hills Drive are flooded.
17.00 ft
Water threatens homes upstream on Riverside Hills Drive.
14.00 ft
Minor flooding begins. The boat launch ramp and wooden deck at Mermaid Point Restaurant are flooded.
13.00 ft
Action stage. The Cape Fear River reaches bankfull.
2.07 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

RankLevelDate
133.19 ftSeptember 19, 1945
227.55 ftOctober 2, 1929
321.27 ftSeptember 18, 2018
419.41 ftOctober 9, 2016
518.97 ftSeptember 7, 1996
617.98 ftNovember 14, 2018
715.85 ftAugust 9, 2024
815.59 ftMarch 1, 1987
915.56 ftNovember 16, 2018
1014.60 ftJune 14, 2006

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.35 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 74° 43° – Wind 13 mph
21 Wed 69° 45° – Wind 14 mph
22 Thu 73° 48° – Wind 7 mph
23 Fri 70° 49° – Wind 12 mph
24 Sat 69° 49° – Wind 13 mph
25 Sun 71° 47° – Wind 11 mph
26 Mon 73° 50° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Cape Fear River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cape Fear River at FayettevilleRiver gauge, Cape Fear River 9.65 ft Low +0.01 ft 25 mi
Cape Fear River at Wilm O Huske Lock near TarheelRiver gauge, Cape Fear River 1.31 ft Low ±0 39 mi
Cape Fear River at Lock 1 near KellyRiver gauge, Cape Fear River 14.85 ft Low +0.02 ft 75 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Buckhorn Creek near CorinthRiver gauge, Buckhorn Creek 1.61 ft Normal ±0 14 mi
Middle Creek near ClaytonRiver gauge, Middle Creek 1.45 ft Very low −0.15 ft 17 mi
Little River at ManchesterRiver gauge, Little River 6.19 ft Normal −0.16 ft 18 mi
Tank Creek at Reilly Road at Fort BraggRiver gauge, Tank Creek 2.70 ft Very low +0.08 ft 19 mi
Tank Creek at Butner Road at Fort BraggRiver gauge, Tank Creek 0.61 ft Normal +0.01 ft 20 mi
Haw River near MoncureRiver gauge, Haw River 2.11 ft Normal −0.03 ft 21 mi
Swift Creek near McCullars CrossroadsRiver gauge, Swift Creek 1.71 ft Normal ±0 21 mi
Swift Creek at Sr1555 near ClaytonRiver gauge, Swift Creek 1.08 ft Very low −0.06 ft 21 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Cape Fear River at Lillington higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.71 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.36 ft.

What is flood stage for the Cape Fear River at Lillington?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 11.93 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Cape Fear River at Lillington in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.62 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.08 ft and 7.33 ft, based on 30 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 Cape Fear River at Lillington today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:15 PM EDT, the water level was 2.07 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cape Fear River at Lillington rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cape Fear River at Lillington normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 30 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:02102500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.40611, -78.81333 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.07 ft 2026-10-20 20:15 Provisional
Flow 396 cfs 2026-10-20 20:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cape Fear River at Lillington (usgs:02102500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/cape-fear-river-at-lillington

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