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Tuckasegee River at Bryson City water level

River gauge, Tuckasegee River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.96ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
641 cfs
0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 15.96 ft Minor floodstage 10.00 ft

History

23ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 2523ftOct 16Oct 21Oct 25
234ftSep 21Sep 29Oct 8Oct 16Oct 25234ftSep 21Oct 8Oct 25
35810ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage35810ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:44 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Tuckasegee River at Bryson City, where the gauge shows 1.96 ft.

The median for mid-October is 2.17 ft, based on 25 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.21 ft below typical. It is 8.04 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.01 ft, a difference of −0.05 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. The 30-day range is 1.77 ft – 2.88 ft.

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.17 ft0.21 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.65 ft – 2.93 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year
2.01 ft−0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.77 ft – 2.88 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.73 ft – 3.63 ft
Highest on record
15.96 ftAugust 30, 1940
Forecast peak
2.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft
Expect near record flooding of Bryson City.
16.00 ft
Everett Street and Slope Street bridges will be closed due to high water.
15.00 ft
High water levels on the Tuckaseegee River will cause backwater effects along Deep Creek. The Deep Creek Campground and bridge may be shut down due to flooding. Further flooding of buildings in town will occur.
13.50 ft
Stores along Gibson and Island streets will be flooded. Floodwater levels will be similar to the flooding that occurred on September 17, 2004.
12.00 ft
Businesses near Everett Street and along Island and Carringer Streets will flood. In Whittier, businesses along the river may have water in their loading docks.
11.00 ft
The river will overflow its banks in the park downtown, and low lying areas along Island and Collins Streets will begin to flood. Toot Hollow Branch that flows into the river will likely overflow its banks and flood areas along the branch especially along Waters Street. Bear Hunter Campground will experience more significant flooding.
10.00 ft
Low lying areas between Bryson Walk and the river will flood. Upstream between Main Street and the river, low lying areas including parts of the Bear Hunter Campground will flood.
9.00 ft
River will overflow its banks and will begin to move into the Bear Hunter Campground near Bryson City.
3.50 ft
3.5 to 4 inch in 12 hrs caused flooding along toot hollow branch and bryson branch especially along waters street. The tuckasegee river to rise from 2.29 to 9.11 ft.
1.96 ft
Right now
1.40 ft
1.4 inch in one hour here and just south of the city on jenkins branch will likely cause flooding. +

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

RankLevelDate
115.96 ftAugust 30, 1940
215.16 ftSeptember 27, 2024
314.25 ftMarch 28, 1994
414.20 ftMarch 18, 1999
514.00 ftFebruary 12, 1900
614.00 ftNovember 19, 1906
713.87 ftSeptember 17, 2004
813.62 ftMay 6, 2003
913.60 ftApril 5, 1977
1013.45 ftMarch 16, 1973

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:54 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Tuckasegee River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near CullowheeRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 4.53 ft Normal +0.03 ft 20 mi
Tuckasegee River at Barker's CreekRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 3.23 ft Low ±0 9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Oconaluftee River at BirdtownRiver gauge, Oconaluftee River 1.20 ft Normal −0.02 ft 5.8 mi
Little Tennessee River at NeedmoreRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River 1.93 ft Low +0.01 ft 8 mi
Nantahala River near HewittRiver gauge, Nantahala River 2.74 ft Very high +0.01 ft 14 mi
Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near FranklinRiver gauge, Cartoogechaye Creek 0.18 ft Very low −0.01 ft 19 mi
West Prong Little Pigeon River near GatlinburgRiver gauge, West Prong Little Pigeon River 2.81 ft Normal −0.05 ft 19 mi
Little Tennessee River near PrentissRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River 1.42 ft Low −0.01 ft 20 mi
Little River above TownsendRiver gauge, Little River 57.3 cfs Low −3.0 cfs 22 mi
Nantahala River near Rainbow SpringsRiver gauge, Nantahala River 0.93 ft Normal −0.01 ft 23 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Tuckasegee River at Bryson City higher than last year?

No, it is 0.05 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.01 ft.

What is flood stage for the Tuckasegee River at Bryson City?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.04 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Tuckasegee River at Bryson City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.17 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.65 ft and 2.93 ft, based on 25 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 Tuckasegee River at Bryson City today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM EDT, the water level was 1.96 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tuckasegee River at Bryson City rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.14 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Tuckasegee River at Bryson City normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:03513000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.42750, -83.44694 (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 1.96 ft 2026-10-20 17:15 Provisional
Flow 641 cfs 2026-10-20 17:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tuckasegee River at Bryson City (usgs:03513000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/tuckasegee-river-at-bryson-city

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