Yadkin River at Elkin water level

Name: Yadkin River at Elkin 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, Yadkin River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.57ft Down 1.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 733 cfs

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 rise to 2.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:21 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Yadkin River at Elkin is at 1.57 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.08 ft above the median of 1.49 ft for mid-October, based on 31 years of readings. It is 16.43 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.45 ft (+0.12 ft).

It has dropped 1.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.30 ft and 10.26 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.49 ft0.08 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.82 ft – 2.57 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.45 ft+0.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.30 ft – 10.26 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.98 ft – 10.26 ft
Highest on record: 37.50 ftAugust 16, 1940
Lowest on record: 0.41 ftSeptember 10, 2007
Forecast peak: 2.20 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Yadkin River at Elkin

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 16.43 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

37.60 ft: Record flooding affects Elkin.
27.00 ft: Flooding begins at True Textiles Manufacturing Company main building.
24.00 ft: Two to three blocks of Elkin are inundated.
21.00 ft: Widespread lowland flooding along the river.
18.50 ft: Rockford Road near Rockford floods.
18.00 ft: Flooding of the parking lot at Crater Park begins.
1.57 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	37.50 ft	August 16, 1940
2	36.00 ft	July 8, 1916
3	24.88 ft	April 10, 1983
4	24.11 ft	September 27, 2024
5	23.52 ft	August 10, 1970
6	22.80 ft	August 17, 1994
7	22.64 ft	June 21, 1972
8	22.52 ft	October 29, 2020
9	21.81 ft	November 12, 2020
10	21.32 ft	April 21, 1992

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the Yadkin River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yadkin River at PattersonRiver gauge, Yadkin River	1.07 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	43 mi
Yadkin River below W Kerr Scott Dam near BuckRiver gauge, Yadkin River	1.88 ft	Normal	−1.17 ft	22 mi
Yadkin River at WilkesboroRiver gauge, Yadkin River	2.37 ft	Normal	−0.95 ft	18 mi
Yadkin River at EnonRiver gauge, Yadkin River	3.58 ft	High	−0.10 ft	24 mi
Yadkin River at Yadkin CollegeRiver gauge, Yadkin River	1.50 ft	Normal	−0.13 ft	37 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hunting Creek near HarmonyRiver gauge, Hunting Creek	0.34 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Reddies River at North WilkesboroRiver gauge, Reddies River	1.17 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Ararat River at AraratRiver gauge, Ararat River	0.98 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	20 mi
West Kerr Scott Reservoir at Dam near WilkesboroReservoir, West Kerr Scott Reservoir	1,029.69 ft	Very low	+0.06 ft	22 mi
Little Yadkin River at DaltonRiver gauge, Little Yadkin River	0.42 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	25 mi
Chestnut Creek at GalaxRiver gauge, Chestnut Creek	47.9 cfs	Normal	−1.3 cfs	28 mi
New River near GalaxRiver gauge, New River	1.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Yadkin River at Elkin compare with last year?

It is 0.12 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.45 ft.

What is flood stage for the Yadkin River at Elkin?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 16.43 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Yadkin River at Elkin in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.82 ft and 2.57 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 Yadkin River at Elkin today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 AM EDT, the water level was 1.57 ft. Down 1.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Yadkin River at Elkin rising or falling?

Down 1.10 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 5.54 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Yadkin River at Elkin normal?

Normal for mid-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:02112250 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.24104, -80.84910 (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	1.57 ft	2026-10-20 10:00	Provisional
Flow	733 cfs	2026-10-20 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/14614?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Yadkin River at Elkin water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Yadkin River at Elkin (usgs:02112250). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/yadkin-river-at-elkin

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