Canada
United States
Belgium
France
Ireland
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Austria
Czechia
Germany
Poland
Slovenia
Switzerland
Italy
Spain
Türkiye
Denmark
Finland
Norway
SwedenElk River at Queen Shoals water level
River gauge, Elk River, West Virginia, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 3,040 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to fall to 6.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:12 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
The gauge at Elk River at Queen Shoals reads 7.31 ft, a normal level.
It is 11.69 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft.
The level is falling, down 0.39 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 6.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.31 ft and 8.55 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 33.31 ftJune 24, 2016
- Lowest on record
- 2.20 ftOctober 20, 1930
- Forecast peak
- 7.40 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM
What the stage means on the water
A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.
The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 19.00 ft, still 11.69 ft away.
What happens at each level
- 31.00 ft
- In Clendenin, the Columbia Gas transmission area just north of town along WV State Route 4, floods around 31 feet.
- 30.00 ft
- In Clendenin, many homes and businesses above the Big Sandy Creek between WV State Route 4 and the river are inundated. In Barren Creek, much of River Haven Road floods along with several homes between this road and the river. In Queen Shoals, several homes flood along WV State Route 4 0.3 miles above the Queen Road bridge.
- 29.50 ft
- In Queen Shoals, row of homes on WV State Route 4 above the Queen Road bridge flood. In Reamer, homes between Brown Street and the river are inundated.
- 29.00 ft
- Major flooding occurs along the entire reach of the Elk River. In Clendenin, most homes and businesses between Maywood Avenue and the river are inundated. In Youngs Bottom, several homes between Robbie Lane and the river flood. In Procious, portions of WV Route 4 and Scenic River Road flood.
- 28.00 ft
- In Corton, the Eastern Gas transmission area located on River Haven Road, floods around 28 feet.
- 27.00 ft
- In Clendenin, many homes and businesses between Maywood Avenue and the river flood. In Procious, homes on both sides of the river begin to flood. In Queen Shoals, low sections of WV State Route 4 approximately 1 mile below the gauge floods. Low sections of WV State Route 4 flood between Barren Creek and Corton.
- 25.00 ft
- In Clendenin, lower portions of Elk Avenue, Virginia Avenue, and Jarrett Street flood. The first floor of businesses adjacent to the river flood.
- 22.00 ft
- In Falling Rock, US Route 119 at the intersection with Jordan Creek Road floods. In Queen Shoals, low spot on Flat Fork Groves Road floods.
- 20.00 ft
- In Clendenin, basements in some businesses adjacent to the river flood. WV State Route 4 between US Route 119 and Beech Street floods. Sections of US Route 119 are inundated due to backwater flooding of Big Sandy Creek.
- 19.00 ft
- In Queen Shoals, the lower floor of the abandoned church opposite side of the river from the gauge floods.
- 12.00 ft
- The North and South Clendenin boat ramp access parking lots flood between 12 and 15 feet.
- 7.31 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: 9 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33.31 ft | June 24, 2016 |
| 2 | 22.83 ft | March 1, 2021 |
| 3 | 20.24 ft | December 7, 2013 |
| 4 | 19.90 ft | February 7, 2025 |
| 5 | 19.33 ft | September 28, 2018 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Elk River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk River below Webster SpringsRiver gauge, Elk River | 5.26 ft | Below flood stage | −0.29 ft | 44 mi |
| Elk River at SuttonRiver gauge, Elk River | 14.47 ft | High | −0.75 ft | 34 mi |
| Elk River near FrametownRiver gauge, Elk River | 4.38 ft | High | −0.65 ft | 23 mi |
| Elk River at ClayRiver gauge, Elk River | 4.36 ft | Below flood stage | −0.98 ft | 11 mi |
| Elk River at CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk River | 3,950 cfs | Very high | −360.0 cfs | 20 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Sandy Creek near ElkviewRiver gauge, Little Sandy Creek | 19.7 cfs | Very high | −10.7 cfs | 12 mi |
| Gauley River above BelvaRiver gauge, Gauley River | 4.42 ft | Below flood stage | −0.08 ft | 17 mi |
| Elk Twomile Creek near CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk Twomile Creek | 2.35 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 19 mi |
| Pocatalico River at SissonvilleRiver gauge, Pocatalico River | 3.41 ft | Below flood stage | −0.39 ft | 19 mi |
| Peters Creek near LockwoodRiver gauge, Peters Creek | 44.5 cfs | Very high | −12.8 cfs | 20 mi |
| Kanawha River at S Side Bridge at CharlestonRiver gauge, Kanawha River | 8.26 ft | Below flood stage | −0.24 ft | 21 mi |
| Kanawha River at Kanawha FallsRiver gauge, Kanawha River | 5.28 ft | Below flood stage | −0.38 ft | 23 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Elk River at Queen Shoals?
The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The level is currently 11.69 ft below it.
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 Elk River at Queen Shoals today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 07:00 AM EDT, the water level was 7.31 ft. Down 0.39 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Elk River at Queen Shoals rising or falling?
Down 0.39 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Elk River at Queen Shoals normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Elk River at Queen Shoals?
The highest level on record is 33.31 ft on June 24, 2016. The lowest is 2.20 ft on October 20, 1930.
Is Elk River at Queen Shoals expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to fall to 6.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:03197000(Agency page)- Coordinates
38.47204, -81.28419(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 | 7.31 ft | 2026-10-19 11:00 | Provisional |
| Flow | 3,040 cfs | 2026-10-19 11:00 | Provisional |
Download
Embed this gauge
Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.
How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Elk River at Queen Shoals (usgs:03197000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/elk-river-at-queen-shoals
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