Smith River level at Bassett
Virginia · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 02072500 — SMITH RIVER AT BASSETT, VA · NWS forecast point BASV2
Reading taken · as of 23 min ago
Low and clear — wadeable, and fish will be spooky
At 139 CFS, this gauge is running 51% of normal for mid-September — below the 275 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 75 years of record (1951–2026).
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Flood stages at Bassett
National Weather Service categories for gauge BASV2, WFO RNK. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Action 8.0 ft · 4,852 CFS
- Right now 1.74 ft
Flow history at Bassett
Daily values from USGS 02072500, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for BASV2 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Bassett
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 15.20 ft | 17,700 CFS | Sep 7, 1987 |
| 13.35 ft | 14,400 CFS | May 25, 2020 |
| 13.04 ft | 16,000 CFS | Sep 10, 1950 |
| 11.87 ft | 11,200 CFS | May 28, 1982 |
| 11.64 ft | 10,800 CFS | Sep 22, 1979 |
| 11.20 ft | 12,800 CFS | Dec 7, 1950 |
| 10.50 ft | 8,680 CFS | Sep 6, 1996 |
| 10.07 ft | 7,686 CFS | Oct 1, 2015 |
| 9.60 ft | 7,940 CFS | Jul 26, 1974 |
| 9.17 ft | 6,400 CFS | Apr 9, 1983 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Smith River at Bassett
In Virginia — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. Philpott generation swings the river feet with no warning.
Smith River at Bassett — common questions
3 questions
What makes the flow change on Smith River at Bassett?
Rain upstream, plus seasonal baseflow. The 12-month chart shows how it behaves through the year.
Is Smith River at Bassett high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 275 CFS, from 75 years of record (1951–2026). Today is 51% 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 02072500 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for BASV2 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.