Nantahala River near Hewitt
River flow & level · USGS gauge 03505550 · North Carolina · drains 145 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 3:15 PM · streamflow
The Nantahala River at Hewitt is running 659 cfs, 178% of the median flow for October 26 (371 cfs, 21 years). Gage height is 2.74 ft, 12.3 ft below flood stage (15.0 ft). Flow is about the same as 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Nantahala River
for rafters & kayakersNantahala Gorge (Power Plant to Wesser)
GoodClass II+ (III) · 8.1 mi · 36 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: Nantahala River Public Launch Site · Take-out: NOC Nantahala River Take-Out Site
Low from 450 · good 550–1,000 · too high above 2,000 cfs
Now: 659 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 1101.
- Mon Oct 26 7 am – 5 pm
- Tue Oct 27 No flow release
- Wed Oct 28 7 am – 4 pm
Duke Energy’s scheduled flow releases for the next three days (as of this page’s build). Source: Nantahala Powerhouse (Duke Energy). Duke may change releases without notice.
Upper Nantahala & Cascades bypass releases 2026 (Duke Energy)
All 8 scheduled 2026 bypass releases are done (last: Sun Sep 27). The 2027 dates have not been published by Duke Energy yet.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Duke Energy publishes a Nantahala main-stem recreation calendar (generation releases, typically 9 or 10 am to 3–6 pm) plus a handful of Upper Nantahala/Cascades bypass releases each spring, summer and September. Source.
Below dams the river can rise suddenly and turn violent when releases start; stay out of tailrace areas and off the river outside scheduled windows unless you know the flow. Ranges are for experienced paddlers at the gauge shown; rapids change after floods, so scout and check for new wood. American Whitewater’s reach alert (fall 2026) says Duke Energy plans to shut down the Nantahala powerhouse from November 1 to mid-January, so expect no regular generation releases then; check Duke’s schedule before driving out. Wear a PFD, never boat alone, and follow the American Whitewater Safety Code. New to whitewater? Go with a licensed outfitter.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumAction (9.0 ft) is 6.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (15.0 ft) is 12.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (18.0 ft) is 15.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (21.0 ft) is 18.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Action (9.0 ft) is 6.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (15.0 ft) is 12.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (18.0 ft) is 15.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (21.0 ft) is 18.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Action (9.0 ft) is 7.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (15.0 ft) is 13.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (18.0 ft) is 16.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (21.0 ft) is 19.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
ReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Nantahala River near Hewitt fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETFlow 178% of normal, flow steady, calm wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:54 AM–8:54 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 72°F / low 45°FMostly Sunny
- WindCalm0–2 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 7
- Flow178% of normalFlow steady (+0% in 24 h)
Official North Carolina fishing info: NC Wildlife Resources Commission — Where to fish
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:50 AM · Sunset 6:45 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:14 AM–2:14 AM
- Moon underfoot12:42 PM–2:42 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:54 AM–8:54 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:22 PM–7:22 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 12:14 AM–2:14 AM · 12:42 PM–2:42 PM Minor 7:54 AM–8:54 AM · 6:22 PM–7:22 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 1:10 AM–3:10 AM · 1:40 PM–3:40 PM Minor 9:08 AM–10:08 AM · 7:06 PM–8:06 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure steady |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:11 AM–4:11 AM · 2:43 PM–4:43 PM Minor 10:22 AM–11:22 AM · 8:00 PM–9:00 PM Calm wind 1–2 mph · pressure steady |
| ThuOct 29 | 6/10Good | Major 3:15 AM–5:15 AM · 3:47 PM–5:47 PM Minor 11:32 AM–12:32 PM · 9:03 PM–10:03 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure falling |
| FriOct 30 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:19 AM–6:19 AM · 4:51 PM–6:51 PM Minor 12:32 PM–1:32 PM · 10:13 PM–11:13 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure falling |
| SatOct 31 | 6/10Good | Major 5:22 AM–7:22 AM · 5:51 PM–7:51 PM Minor 1:22 PM–2:22 PM · 11:25 PM–12:25 AM Calm wind 1–2 mph · pressure falling |
| SunNov 1 | 6/10Good | Major 5:19 AM–7:19 AM · 5:46 PM–7:46 PM Minor 1:03 PM–2:03 PM · 11:36 PM–12:36 AM Calm wind 2–5 mph · pressure falling |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the river is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 6, rounded | 6/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 35.30, -83.65 (moon times from astronomical equations, Nantahala River near Hewitt local time).
Weather & wind at Nantahala River near Hewitt
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon72° / 45°Mostly SunnyWind NNW 2 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday75° / 45°Areas Of Fog then SunnyWind E 1 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday72° / 44°Partly SunnyWind ESE 2 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 35.305, -83.652 (grid GSP), issued Oct 26, 2:23 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge HEWN7- Action stage9 ft+6.3 ft from now
- Minor stage15 ft+12.3 ft from now
- Moderate stage18 ft+15.3 ft from now
- Major stage21 ft+18.3 ft from now
- Record crest6.92 ft2018
October 26 in history
21 years of flow records- Today659 cfs
- Same date last year446 cfs2025
- Median371 cfs
- Normal range281 cfs – 490 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 2005766 cfs2021
- Lowest since 2005131 cfs2010
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 343 | -5% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 363 | -12% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 412 | +0% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 411 | +3% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 399 | -3% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 410 | +0% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 409 | +0% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 409 | -0% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 410 | +0% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 408 | -6% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Queens Creek Lake2 mi · Lake3,016.30 ft−7.90 ft vs normal full pond
- Nantahala Lake9 mi · Lake2,993.00 ft−19.20 ft vs normal full pond
- Fontana Lake13 mi · Lake1,669.44 ft−33.56 ft vs summer pool
- Lake Chatuge21 mi · Lake1,918.86 ft−7.04 ft vs summer pool
- Lake Glenville29 mi · Lake3,482.75 ft−9.00 ft vs normal full pond
- Tuckasegee Lake30 mi · Lake2,278.25 ft−0.50 ft vs normal full pond
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 03505550 — Nantahala River Near Hewitt, Nc
- Location
- 35.3050, -83.6522 · North Carolina
- Drainage area
- 145 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 2005–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 3:15 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge HEWN7 — National Water Prediction Service
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.