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Little Tennessee River at Needmore water level

River gauge, Little Tennessee River, North Carolina, United States

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Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.91ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
269 cfs
5 10 Highest onrecord 13.06 ft Minor floodstage 11.00 ft

History

History
23ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 2123ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
234ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 13Oct 21234ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
24ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202624ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
24ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202624ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Little Tennessee River at Needmore: the gauge reads 1.91 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.25 ft, based on 30 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.34 ft below typical. It is 9.09 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.07 ft, a difference of −0.16 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.78 ft – 3.90 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.25 ft0.34 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.66 ft – 2.93 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year
2.07 ft−0.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.78 ft – 3.90 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.78 ft – 4.73 ft
Highest on record
13.06 ftOctober 5, 1964

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft
SEVERAL ROADS ALONG RIVER START TO FLOOD.
8.00 ft
NEEDMORE ROAD FLOODS NEAR MACON/SWAIN COUNTY LINE. MOSTLY IN SWAIN COUNTY. THIS IS GRAVEL ROAD AND CLOSE TO THE RIVER.
7.50 ft
WATER APPROACHES HIGHWAY 28 BRIDGE ROADWAY...4 MILES NORTH OF FRANKLIN NEAR IOTLA.
6.50 ft
LOW PARTS OF NEEDMORE ROAD WILL BEGIN TO GET WATER ON IT. THIS IS A GRAVEL ROAD.
2.50 ft
2.5 INCHES IN ONE HOUR WILL CAUSE FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES ALONG NEEDMORE ROAD WEST OF HIGHWAY 28.
1.91 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
113.06 ftOctober 5, 1964
213.00 ftOctober 1, 1918
312.33 ftSeptember 17, 2004
411.50 ftAugust 30, 1940
511.10 ftJune 16, 1949
610.93 ftMarch 5, 1979
710.74 ftFebruary 17, 1990
810.48 ftMay 15, 1976
910.21 ftDecember 25, 2015
1010.16 ftSeptember 27, 2024

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Tennessee River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Little Tennessee River near PrentissRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River 1.42 ft Low −0.01 ft 15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Nantahala River near HewittRiver gauge, Nantahala River 2.74 ft Very high ±0 7 mi
Tuckasegee River at Bryson CityRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 1.85 ft Low −0.02 ft 8 mi
Oconaluftee River at BirdtownRiver gauge, Oconaluftee River 1.20 ft Normal −0.01 ft 13 mi
Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near FranklinRiver gauge, Cartoogechaye Creek 0.21 ft Low −0.01 ft 14 mi
Tuckasegee River at Barker's CreekRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 3.51 ft Normal ±0 14 mi
Nantahala River near Rainbow SpringsRiver gauge, Nantahala River 0.93 ft Normal −0.01 ft 15 mi
Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near CullowheeRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 3.97 ft Very low −0.84 ft 22 mi
Cheoah River near Bearpen Gap near TapocoRiver gauge, Cheoah River 2.77 ft Normal −0.01 ft 23 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Little Tennessee River at Needmore higher than last year?

No, it is 0.16 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.07 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little Tennessee River at Needmore?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 9.09 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little Tennessee River at Needmore in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.25 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.66 ft and 2.93 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 Little Tennessee River at Needmore today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM EDT, the water level was 1.91 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Tennessee River at Needmore rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.25 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Tennessee River at Needmore normal?

Low 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:03503000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.33639, -83.52694 (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 1.91 ft 2026-10-21 01:15 Provisional
Flow 269 cfs 2026-10-21 01:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Tennessee River at Needmore (usgs:03503000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/little-tennessee-river-at-needmore

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.