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Little Tennessee River near Prentiss water level

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

Directions

Right now

Low for late October

Water level

1.42ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
113 cfs
0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 17.30 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
1.52.02.5ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 211.52.02.5ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
1234ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 211234ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
1234ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20261234ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
1234ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261234ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Little Tennessee River near Prentiss is running below normal at 1.42 ft.

The median for late October is 1.73 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.31 ft below typical. It is 13.58 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.59 ft, a difference of −0.17 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.27 ft and 3.48 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.73 ft0.31 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.21 ft – 2.38 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year
1.59 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.27 ft – 3.48 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.27 ft – 3.97 ft
Highest on record
17.30 ftNovember 4, 1964

Floating and fishing near Little Tennessee River near Prentiss

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 13.58 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft
BUSINESSES AND SOME HOMES ALONG HUDSON AND KOVACS ROADS WILL HAVE A FEW FEET OF WATER IN THEM.
15.00 ft
WATER WILL ENTER HOMES AND FARM BUILDINGS ALONG THE RIVER.
14.00 ft
WATER WILL APPROACH FARM HOMES AND BUILDINGS ON KOVACS AND HUDSON ROADS. WIDESPREAD FAMLAND FLOODING WILL OCCURR.
12.00 ft
WIDE SPREAD FARMLAND FLOODING.
11.50 ft
WATER WILL START TO SURROUND HOMES UPSTREAM FROM GAGE ON PATTON ROAD.
8.00 ft
FARMLAND FLOODING
2.80 ft
GENERAL RAIN OF 2.8 INCH IN 4 HR CAUSED THE RIVER TO RISE FROM 2.6 TO 8.29 FT
1.42 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
117.30 ftNovember 4, 1964
215.92 ftSeptember 17, 2004
315.82 ftSeptember 17, 2004
415.00 ftOctober 4, 1998
514.54 ftMarch 4, 1979
614.44 ftFebruary 16, 1990
712.91 ftFebruary 19, 1966
812.85 ftJune 16, 1949
912.50 ftJuly 1, 1916
1012.50 ftAugust 30, 1940

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Tennessee River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Little Tennessee River at NeedmoreRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River 1.91 ft Low −0.01 ft 15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near FranklinRiver gauge, Cartoogechaye Creek 0.19 ft Very low −0.02 ft 2.6 mi
Nantahala River near Rainbow SpringsRiver gauge, Nantahala River 0.92 ft Normal −0.01 ft 14 mi
Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near CullowheeRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 3.95 ft Very low −0.11 ft 16 mi
Tuckasegee River at Barker's CreekRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 3.14 ft Low ±0 17 mi
Nantahala River near HewittRiver gauge, Nantahala River 1.21 ft Very low −0.01 ft 19 mi
Chattooga River at Burrells Ford, near Pine MountainRiver gauge, Chattooga River 0.77 ft Low −0.02 ft 19 mi
Tuckasegee River at Bryson CityRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 1.98 ft Normal ±0 20 mi
Tallulah River near ClaytonRiver gauge, Tallulah River 1.77 ft Low −0.01 ft 20 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Little Tennessee River near Prentiss higher than last year?

No, it is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.59 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little Tennessee River near Prentiss?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 13.58 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little Tennessee River near Prentiss in late October?

The median for late October is 1.73 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.21 ft and 2.38 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 Little Tennessee River near Prentiss today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:30 AM EDT, the water level was 1.42 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Tennessee River near Prentiss rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Tennessee River near Prentiss normal?

Low 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:03500000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.15000, -83.37972 (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 1.42 ft 2026-10-21 08:30 Provisional
Flow 113 cfs 2026-10-21 08:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Tennessee River near Prentiss (usgs:03500000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/little-tennessee-river-near-prentiss

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.