Cove Creek near Lake Lure water level

Name: Cove Creek near Lake Lure 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, Cove Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

2.17ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 89.8 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Cove Creek near Lake Lure, where the gauge shows 2.17 ft.

The median for late October is 2.21 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.04 ft below typical. It is 27.83 ft below the flood stage of 30.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.05 ft, a difference of +0.12 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.95 ft – 8.69 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.21 ft0.04 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.91 ft – 2.61 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.05 ft+0.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.95 ft – 8.69 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.85 ft – 8.69 ft
Highest on record: 23.00 ftJuly 16, 1916

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 30.00 ft.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: AT THIS LEVEL SOME HOMES NEAR GAGE SITE WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
18.41 ft: FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH OCCURRED IN SEPTEMBER 2004 WITH HURRICANE FRANCES
15.00 ft: 15 FT CREST HERE CAUSED A CREST @ BSPN7 OF 14.78 FT 2 HRS LATER. LOGN7 CRESTED AT 15.30 ARD 14Z
10.75 ft: FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED IN 2004 WITH HURRICANE IVAN.
8.60 ft: 8.6 FT CREST HERE AND A 10.81 FT CREST AT LOGN7 WILL CAUSE A CREST NEAR 11 FT AT BSPN7
8.00 ft: 8 FT HERE AND 10.3 AT LOGN7 CAUSED BSPN7 TO CREST AT 7.8 FT.
6.20 ft: 6.2 FT AT THIS GAGE WILL TRANSLATE DOWNSTREAM TO BSPN7 TO A LEVEL OF 7.50 FT ABOUT 18 HRS LATER. ONE GATE WAS ALSO OPENED AT LAKE LURE.
2.17 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.00 ft	July 16, 1916
2	18.53 ft	June 5, 1957
3	18.41 ft	September 8, 2004
4	17.76 ft	November 8, 1977
5	17.73 ft	March 14, 1975
6	17.21 ft	October 4, 1964
7	16.47 ft	February 2, 1983
8	16.33 ft	February 13, 1966
9	16.28 ft	August 17, 1994
10	16.11 ft	May 18, 1975

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Second Broad River near LoganRiver gauge, Second Broad River	1.81 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	14 mi
Catawba River near Pleasant GardensRiver gauge, Catawba River	1.81 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	18 mi
Mud Creek at Secondary Road 1503 near BalfourRiver gauge, Mud Creek	5.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	21 mi
Lake William C. Bowen near FingervilleLake, Lake William C. Bowen	814.81 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	22 mi
South Pacolet River near CampobelloRiver gauge, South Pacolet River	3.84 ft	High	−0.03 ft	22 mi
North Fork Swannanoa River near WalkertownRiver gauge, North Fork Swannanoa River	7.93 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	22 mi
North Pacolet River at FingervilleRiver gauge, North Pacolet River	3.23 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	22 mi
North Saluda River near HighlandRiver gauge, North Saluda River	6.4 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	23 mi

Questions and answers

Is Cove Creek near Lake Lure higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.12 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.05 ft.

What is flood stage for Cove Creek near Lake Lure?

The official flood stage is 30.00 ft. The level is currently 27.83 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Cove Creek near Lake Lure in late October?

The median for late October is 2.21 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.91 ft and 2.61 ft, based on 31 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 Cove Creek near Lake Lure today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT, the water level was 2.17 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cove Creek near Lake Lure rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.42 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cove Creek near Lake Lure normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 31 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:02149000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.42333, -82.11167 (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	2.17 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	89.8 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cove Creek near Lake Lure (usgs:02149000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/cove-creek-near-lake-lure

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