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West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg water level

River gauge, West Prong Little Pigeon River, Tennessee, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for late October

Water level

2.79ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
23.1 cfs
3 5 8 10 Highest onrecord 10.03 ft Minor floodstage 8.00 ft

History

History
2.53.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 212.53.0ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
23ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 2123ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
2468ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage2468ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
24ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202624ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg is at 2.79 ft, in the normal range for late October.

That puts it 0.04 ft above the median of 2.75 ft for late October, based on 8 years of readings. It is 5.21 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.62 ft (+0.17 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.63 ft and 3.71 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 8 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.75 ft0.04 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.31 ft – 3.00 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (8 years of records)
Same day last year
2.62 ft+0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.63 ft – 3.71 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.57 ft – 5.36 ft
Highest on record
10.03 ftApril 13, 2020

Floating and fishing near West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg

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

Flood stage here is 8.00 ft, 5.21 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

9.50 ft
Roughly corresponds to the flow that floods the Aquarium bridge over a mile downstream.
2.79 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
110.03 ftApril 13, 2020
29.41 ftJanuary 9, 2024
39.15 ftAugust 17, 2021
48.90 ftFebruary 6, 2020
58.72 ftJuly 20, 2023
68.70 ftOctober 29, 2020
78.61 ftDecember 29, 2024
87.77 ftSeptember 27, 2024

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 71° 52° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 69° 51° – Wind 7 mph
23 Fri 69° 45° – Wind 5 mph
24 Sat 68° 47° – Wind 5 mph
25 Sun 69° 46° – Wind 5 mph
26 Mon 68° 46° – Wind 5 mph
27 Tue 68° 50° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Little River above TownsendRiver gauge, Little River 55.9 cfs Low −2.9 cfs 11 mi
Little Pigeon River at SeviervilleRiver gauge, Little Pigeon River 1.46 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 13 mi
Oconaluftee River at BirdtownRiver gauge, Oconaluftee River 1.18 ft Normal −0.02 ft 19 mi
Tuckasegee River at Bryson CityRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River 1.98 ft Normal ±0 19 mi
Little River near MaryvilleRiver gauge, Little River 5.20 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 21 mi
Little River near AlcoaRiver gauge, Little River 1.74 ft Low −0.03 ft 24 mi
Pigeon River below Power Plant near WatervilleRiver gauge, Pigeon River 6.92 ft Very high ±0 24 mi
Little Tennessee River at NeedmoreRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River 1.91 ft Low −0.01 ft 25 mi

Questions and answers

How does the West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg compare with last year?

It is 0.17 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.62 ft.

What is flood stage for the West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 5.21 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg in late October?

The median for late October is 2.75 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.31 ft and 3.00 ft, based on 8 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 West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT, the water level was 2.79 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg rising or falling?

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

Is the level of West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 8 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:03469251 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.69954, -83.52711 (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 2.79 ft 2026-10-21 09:15 Provisional
Flow 23.1 cfs 2026-10-21 09:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg (usgs:03469251). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/tennessee/west-prong-little-pigeon-river-near-gatlinburg

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.