Roanoke River at Altavista
Virginia · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 02060500 — ROANOKE RIVER AT ALTAVISTA, VA · NWS forecast point ALTV2
Reading taken Jul 28, 11:00 PM UTC
Low and clear — wadeable, and fish will be spooky
At 497 CFS, this gauge is running 57% of normal for late July — below the 872 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 45 years of record (1980–2026).
Data-derived guidance from USGS and NWS published values — not official advice, and not a safety assessment.
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Flood stages at Altavista
Official National Weather Service categories for gauge ALTV2, issued by WFO RNK. Impact statements are the NWS's own wording for this location, reproduced verbatim.
-
Major flood 29.0 ft · 50,669 CFS
- 29.0 ft Low spots in and around altavista begin to flood.
- 32.0 ft Old lane furniture warehouse flooded.
- 32.9 ft Town's filtration plant flooded.
- 42.2 ft Old Lane Furntiure main plant flooded.
-
Moderate flood 24.0 ft · 33,089 CFS
- 27.9 ft Filtration plant at hurt begins to flood.
-
Minor flood 18.0 ft · 22,799 CFS
- 18.0 ft Water begins to flood lowland pastures/farmlands.
- 23.0 ft Minor lowland flooding.
-
Action 16.0 ft · 19,542 CFS
- Right now 1.68 ft
12 months of flow at Altavista
Daily values from USGS gauge 02060500. Provisional data, subject to revision.
Highest crests on record at Altavista
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 40.08 ft | 105,000 CFS | Aug 15, 1940 |
| 34.45 ft | 62,100 CFS | Sep 8, 1987 |
| 31.27 ft | 57,000 CFS | Oct 20, 1937 |
| 31.23 ft | 52,000 CFS | Oct 16, 1954 |
| 31.10 ft | 55,900 CFS | Sep 19, 1944 |
| 30.84 ft | 54,600 CFS | Dec 4, 1948 |
| 29.60 ft | 47,300 CFS | Aug 19, 1939 |
| 29.30 ft | 49,000 CFS | Oct 18, 1932 |
| 28.44 ft | 38,800 CFS | Jun 23, 1995 |
| 28.30 ft | 44,100 CFS | Sep 19, 1945 |
Historical crests published by the National Weather Service for this gauge.
About Roanoke River at Altavista
This gauge sits on Roanoke River at Altavista, Virginia, immediately below Smith Mountain Lake. Flow here is controlled by releases from the dam, so it can change by hundreds of CFS within an hour with no rain anywhere in the basin — check it before you go, not the day before.
Raw CFS means little on its own, so every reading on this page is shown against the USGS median for the same calendar day — 872 CFS for late July, from 45 years of record.
Because the National Weather Service also operates a forecast point here, the page carries the official flood-category ladder and the NWS's own stage-by-stage impact statements.
Reservoir feeding this stretch
Flow at this gauge is set by releases from Smith Mountain Lake. A full pool usually means more water is on its way down.
Roanoke River at Altavista — common questions
What is the current flow on Roanoke River at Altavista?
As of the last reading on this page, Roanoke River at Altavista was running 497 CFS at a gage height of 1.68 ft, or 57% of the USGS median for this date. The number updates automatically from USGS gauge 02060500, which reports every 15 to 60 minutes.
Is that high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late July at this gauge is 872 CFS, calculated from 45 years of record (1980–2026). Comparing today's reading against that median is the only way a raw CFS number tells you anything — 200 CFS is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from this gauge every 15 to 60 minutes. This page bakes in the most recent reading when it is rebuilt, then refreshes live from USGS when you open it. Readings are provisional and subject to revision by USGS.
Is Roanoke River at Altavista wadeable right now?
That depends on the reach and on your own judgement — riverlvl will not tell you the water is safe to stand in. What it will tell you is whether today's flow is unusually high or low for the date, against a seasonal median of 872 CFS, which is the single most useful input to that decision. On a dam tailwater like this one, the bigger risk is a sudden generation release, which can raise the river several feet with little warning.
How do releases from Smith Mountain Lake affect this stretch?
Directly and quickly. When the dam generates or spills, flow at this gauge climbs — often within an hour, often by an order of magnitude. The reservoir level itself is tracked on lakelvl.com, and the link on this page goes straight to it, so you can see whether the pool is high enough that releases are likely.
Where does this data come from?
Flow and gage height are public-domain USGS data from gauge 02060500. Flood categories, impact statements and the forecast come from the NOAA / National Weather Service National Water Prediction Service, gauge ALTV2. riverlvl adds the seasonal comparison and plain-English summary; it is not an official source and does not issue warnings.