Pigeon River near Canton water level

Name: Pigeon River near Canton 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, Pigeon River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

1.43ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 06:00 AM EDT (22 min ago)

Flow: 99.2 cfs
Water temperature: 52 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:43 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 1.43 ft, the Pigeon River near Canton is below normal for late October.

The median for late October is 1.69 ft, based on 34 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.26 ft below typical. It is 8.57 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.39 ft, a difference of +0.04 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

The water temperature at the gauge is 52 °F.

Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.69 ft0.26 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.36 ft – 2.17 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (34 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.39 ft+0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.23 ft – 3.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.23 ft – 3.19 ft
Highest on record: 26.96 ftSeptember 27, 2024
Forecast peak: 1.40 ftWednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM

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 10.00 ft, still 8.57 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.80 ft: Major, catastrophic flooding of areas along the Pigeon River. Floodwater levels will be similar to the levels that occurred on September 17, 2004 during Hurricane Ivan.
20.70 ft: Major flooding continues along the Pigeon River. Floodwater levels will be similar to those that occurred on September 8, 2004 during Hurricane Frances.
19.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Extremely rare and catastrophic flooding is developing in Canton with disastrous impacts to property. Extraordinary flooding exceeding 6 ft deep is overwhelming low-lying areas near the Pigeon River. Basements and crawl spaces may be completely submerged. First-floor building elevations in Canton are experiencing ruinous flooding greater than 1 ft deep. Travel may be severely restricted with roadway inundation exceeding 3-4 ft, stranding several homes and businesses.
18.00 ft: US Highway 19 and 23 may be flooded and closed in Clyde.
17.50 ft: Moderate flooding continues. Several bridges in Canton and Fibreville may be closed.
17.00 ft: Moderate flooding continues. At this level some low-lying areas on the left bank near the former Champion Paper Company will begin to flood.
16.00 ft: Moderate flooding continues. Homes and businesses between the Pigeon River and Hyder Mountain and Thicketty Roads may be flooded.
15.50 ft: Homes in Fibreville and Clyde near the Pigeon River may be flooded.
14.50 ft: Minor flooding continues. Floodwaters may approach the lowest-elevations of business property in Canton.
14.00 ft: Minor Flooding continues. Floodwaters may approach home and business property along Sorrells, Waters, and Penland Streets.
12.50 ft: Minor flooding continues. A trailer park near Old Highway 19 and 23 outside of Clyde may flood. Residential yards along Richland, Hyatt, and Allens Creeks will be in danger of flooding, due to runoff and back water from the Pigeon River.
12.00 ft: Minor flooding continues. At this level, the former Champion Paper Company would historically take preventative flood actions at the plant. Areas on the right bank of the river near Canton may begin to flood. This may include residential yards on Fiberville Road and parts of Valley, North, and Conley Streets.
1.43 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 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.96 ft	September 27, 2024
2	22.80 ft	September 17, 2004
3	20.75 ft	August 30, 1940
4	20.70 ft	September 8, 2004
5	19.60 ft	August 18, 2021
6	16.40 ft	August 16, 1928
7	15.31 ft	August 17, 1994
8	14.12 ft	October 5, 1995
9	12.96 ft	January 8, 1998
10	11.98 ft	April 13, 2020

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 54° 40° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 58° 35° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 67° 36° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 70° 42° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 70° 46° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 68° 43° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 69° 42° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Pigeon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pigeon River near HepcoRiver gauge, Pigeon River	1.77 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	11 mi
Pigeon River below Power Plant near WatervilleRiver gauge, Pigeon River	6.91 ft	Very high	−0.72 ft	23 mi
Pigeon River at NewportRiver gauge, Pigeon River	2.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	35 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Fork Pigeon River near CantonRiver gauge, East Fork Pigeon River	−0.08 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	4.3 mi
West Fork Pigeon River at BethelRiver gauge, West Fork Pigeon River	0.12 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	5.0 mi
West F Pigeon River above Lake Logan near HazelwoodRiver gauge, West F Pigeon River	0.83 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Hominy Creek near West AshevilleRiver gauge, Hominy Creek	1.14 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	14 mi
Cataloochee Creek near CataloocheeRiver gauge, Cataloochee Creek	2.20 ft	Normal	±0	16 mi
French Broad River at AshevilleRiver gauge, French Broad River	1.22 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Mills River near Mills RiverRiver gauge, Mills River	1.82 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	17 mi
Swannanoa River at BiltmoreRiver gauge, Swannanoa River	1.34 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Pigeon River near Canton higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.04 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.39 ft.

What is flood stage for the Pigeon River near Canton?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.57 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Pigeon River near Canton in late October?

The median for late October is 1.69 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.36 ft and 2.17 ft, based on 34 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 Pigeon River near Canton today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 06:00 AM EDT, the water level was 1.43 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Pigeon River near Canton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.23 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Pigeon River near Canton normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 34 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:03456991 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.52194, -82.84806 (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	1.43 ft	2026-10-21 10:00	Provisional
Flow	99.2 cfs	2026-10-21 10:00	Provisional
Water temperature	52 °F	2026-10-21 10:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/10666?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Pigeon River near Canton water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Pigeon River near Canton (usgs:03456991). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/pigeon-river-near-canton

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