Nivelmap
EN

Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne water level

River gauge, Big Wills Creek, Alabama, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.77ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
6.0 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 17.94 ft Minor floodstage 11.00 ft

History

History
4.04.55.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 204.04.55.0ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
456ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20456ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
5810ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage5810ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
468ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026468ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

At 3.77 ft, Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.27 ft below the median of 4.04 ft for mid-October, based on 24 years of readings. It is 7.23 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.92 ft (−0.15 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.71 ft and 4.46 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.04 ft0.27 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.72 ft – 4.73 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year
3.92 ft−0.15 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.71 ft – 4.46 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.71 ft – 7.29 ft
Highest on record
17.94 ftApril 13, 2020

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 11.00 ft, still 7.23 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft
Widespread flooding is occurring near Fort Payne.
13.00 ft
Flooding of roads and businesses on the North side of Fort Payne...North of Interstate 59...is possible.
11.00 ft
Lowland flooding occurrs near the creek between Fort Payne and Collinsville.
10.00 ft
The River reaches bankfull.
3.77 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
117.94 ftApril 13, 2020
214.43 ftJune 20, 2021
314.36 ftJanuary 7, 2009
414.19 ftMay 6, 2003
514.13 ftFebruary 6, 2020
614.09 ftMarch 25, 2021
713.93 ftApril 29, 2014
813.88 ftDecember 26, 2015
913.43 ftSeptember 17, 2004
1013.12 ftMarch 9, 2011

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 07:04 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on Big Wills Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Big Wills Creek near Reece CityRiver gauge, Big Wills Creek 1.62 ft Low +0.01 ft 28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
South Sauty Creek near RainsvilleRiver gauge, South Sauty Creek 7.17 ft Low +0.01 ft 10 mi
Little River near Blue PondRiver gauge, Little River 1.52 ft Very low −0.04 ft 11 mi
Town Creek near GeraldineRiver gauge, Town Creek 10.5 cfs Normal +0.4 cfs 13 mi
Chattooga River above GaylesvilleRiver gauge, Chattooga River 3.77 ft Very low ±0 18 mi
Coosa River at LeesburgRiver gauge, Coosa River 563.33 ft Very high −0.01 ft 18 mi
Coosa River at State Line, Al/River gauge, Coosa River 13.47 ft High −0.04 ft 24 mi
Chattooga River at SummervilleRiver gauge, Chattooga River 1.88 ft Very low −0.02 ft 25 mi
Terrapin Creek at EllisvilleRiver gauge, Terrapin Creek 7.00 ft Normal +0.01 ft 27 mi

Questions and answers

How does Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne compare with last year?

It is 0.15 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.92 ft.

What is flood stage for Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.23 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.04 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.72 ft and 4.73 ft, based on 24 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 Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 PM EDT, the water level was 3.77 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:02400680 (Agency page)
Coordinates
34.43814, -85.76719 (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 3.77 ft 2026-10-20 21:45 Provisional
Flow 6.0 cfs 2026-10-20 21:45 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: Big Wills Creek at State Highway 35 near Fort Payne (usgs:02400680). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/big-wills-creek-at-state-highway-35-near-fort-payne

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.