Roanoke River at Jamesville water level

Name: Roanoke River at Jamesville 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, Roanoke River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.65ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Water temperature: 69 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Low water at Roanoke River at Jamesville: the gauge reads 0.65 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.03 ft below the median of 1.68 ft for mid-October, based on 29 years of readings.

It is still going down, by 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.34 ft – 2.64 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 69 °F.

Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.68 ft1.03 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.05 ft – 3.00 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.34 ft – 2.64 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −0.85 ft – 2.64 ft
Highest on record: 5.87 ftSeptember 18, 1999

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	5.87 ft	September 18, 1999
2	5.50 ft	August 27, 2011
3	4.68 ft	November 27, 2020
4	4.62 ft	March 9, 1998
5	3.89 ft	February 9, 2010
6	3.76 ft	September 1, 2006
7	3.61 ft	November 22, 2006
8	3.35 ft	April 13, 2005
9	3.13 ft	October 5, 2003
10	3.12 ft	July 25, 2013

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Roanoke River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Roanoke River at Buggs IslandRiver gauge, Roanoke River	3.36 ft	No reference yet	−0.29 ft	95 mi
Roanoke River at Roanoke RapidsRiver gauge, Roanoke River	2.62 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	61 mi
Roanoke River at HalifaxRiver gauge, Roanoke River	16.75 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	52 mi
Roanoke River near Scotland NeckRiver gauge, Roanoke River	4.12 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	39 mi
Roanoke River at HamiltonRiver gauge, Roanoke River	1.50 ft	Very low	−0.52 ft	20 mi
Roanoke River at WilliamstonRiver gauge, Roanoke River	3.56 ft	Normal	−0.41 ft	9 mi
Roanoke River at NC 45 near WestoverRiver gauge, Roanoke River	0.68 ft	Very low	−0.15 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Van Swamp near HokeRiver gauge, Van Swamp	1.98 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	10 mi
Cashie River at Sr1257 near WindsorRiver gauge, Cashie River	4.28 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Pamlico River at WashingtonEstuary gauge, Pamlico River	1.64 ft	Normal	−0.28 ft	21 mi
Tar River at GreenvilleRiver gauge, Tar River	4.04 ft	Normal	−0.68 ft	30 mi
Ahoskie Creek at AhoskieRiver gauge, Ahoskie Creek	1.35 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	33 mi
Tar River at TarboroRiver gauge, Tar River	1.31 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is a normal level for the Roanoke River at Jamesville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.68 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.05 ft and 3.00 ft, based on 29 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 Roanoke River at Jamesville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT, the water level was 0.65 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Roanoke River at Jamesville rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.36 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Roanoke River at Jamesville normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Roanoke River at Jamesville?

The highest level on record is 5.87 ft on September 18, 1999.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02081094 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.81306, -76.89278 (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	0.65 ft	2026-10-20 14:00	Provisional
Water temperature	69 °F	2026-10-20 14:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Roanoke River at Jamesville (usgs:02081094). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/roanoke-river-at-jamesville

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