Roanoke River level at Roanoke Rapids
North Carolina · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 02080500 — ROANOKE RIVER AT ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC · NWS forecast point RRDN7
Reading taken · as of 18 min ago
Below normal — good wading, low and clear
At 1,940 CFS, this gauge is running 68% of normal for mid-September — below the 2,840 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 62 years of record (1964–2026).
Sponsor Roanoke River
One exclusive sponsor per river, on every gauge page for it.
Cancel anytime · Questions?
Flood stages at Roanoke Rapids
National Weather Service categories for gauge RRDN7, WFO RAH. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Major flood 15.0 ft
- 15.0 ft Major flooding begins. There is significant flooding of homes and businesses in Roanoke Rapids.
-
Moderate flood 12.0 ft
- 13.0 ft Moderate flooding begins. Homes and other structures along the river in Roanoke Rapids flood.
-
Minor flood 9.0 ft
- 9.0 ft Minor flooding begins. Farmlands and timberlands adjacent to the river in Roanoke Rapids flood. Property on the farmlands may be at risk from floodwaters.
- 10.0 ft The public boat ramp on Rockfish Ln in Weldon is flooded.
-
Action 9.0 ft · 23,314 CFS
- 9.0 ft Minor flooding begins. Farmlands and timberlands adjacent to the river in Roanoke Rapids flood. Property on the farmlands may be at risk from floodwaters.
- 10.0 ft The public boat ramp on Rockfish Ln in Weldon is flooded.
- Right now 2.91 ft
Flow history at Roanoke Rapids
Daily values from USGS 02080500, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for RRDN7 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Roanoke Rapids
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 39.00 ft | 261,000 CFS | Aug 18, 1940 |
| 26.95 ft | 127,000 CFS | Sep 22, 1944 |
| 26.78 ft | 121,000 CFS | Sep 22, 1945 |
| 19.25 ft | 72,100 CFS | Feb 17, 1948 |
| 18.99 ft | 69,300 CFS | Dec 7, 1948 |
| 16.52 ft | 60,700 CFS | May 7, 1958 |
| 16.04 ft | 54,900 CFS | Nov 2, 1949 |
| 15.48 ft | 54,100 CFS | Sep 26, 1947 |
| 12.83 ft | 43,200 CFS | Aug 19, 1955 |
| 11.87 ft | 37,700 CFS | Apr 16, 1993 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids
In North Carolina, below Lake Gaston. Releases can change the flow by hundreds of CFS in an hour with no rain in the basin — check it the morning you go, not the night before.
Reservoir feeding this stretch
Flow here is set by releases from Lake Gaston. A full pool usually means more water on its way down.
Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids — common questions
3 questions
How do releases from Lake Gaston affect this stretch?
Directly and fast. When the dam generates, flow here can climb by an order of magnitude within the hour, with no rain anywhere in the basin. That sudden release is the real hazard on a tailwater. The pool level is on lakelvl.com, linked below.
Is Roanoke River at Roanoke Rapids high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 2,840 CFS, from 62 years of record (1964–2026). Today is 68% of it. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 02080500 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for RRDN7 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.