Gauley River above Belva
River flow & level · USGS gauge 03192000 · West Virginia · drains 1,316 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 3:00 PM · streamflow
The Gauley River at Belva is running 1,410 cfs, 141% of the median flow for October 26 (1,000 cfs, 62 years). Gage height is 2.98 ft, 17.0 ft below flood stage (20.0 ft). Flow is up 3% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Gauley River
for rafters & kayakersLower Gauley (Woods Ferry to Swiss)
LowClass III–IV (V) · 14 mi · 26 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: Woods Ferry Put-in · Take-out: Upper Swiss Take-Out
Low from 750 · good 1,500–7,000 · too high above 15,000 cfs
Now: 1,410 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 2379.
The 2026 Gauley Season is over: the Corps released 2,800 cfs on 6 weekends from Fri Sep 11 to Sun Oct 18. The 2027 schedule has not been published yet — check Summersville Dam (USACE Huntington District).
59°F water: cold-shock range. Wear a wetsuit or drysuit sized for immersion; most people feel maximum-intensity cold shock in 50–60°F water without one. Reading Oct 26, 3:15 PM · Gauley River Below Rich Creek At Jodie, Wv.
The Lower Gauley runs on the same fall Summersville Dam releases as the Upper (2026: September 11 to October 18), and on rain the rest of the year. The Corps has not published 2027 dates yet. 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. 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 (18.0 ft) is 15.0 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (20.0 ft) is 17.0 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (24.0 ft) is 21.0 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (27.0 ft) is 24.0 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Gauley River above Belva fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETWater 59°F, flow 141% of normal, flow steady, calm wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 7:50 AM–8:50 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp59°Fmeasured Oct 26, 3:15 PM · Gauley River Below Rich Creek At Jodie, Wv, 2 mi away
- Air temphigh 69°F / low 40°FSunny
- WindCalm0–1 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 7
- Flow141% of normalFlow steady (+3% in 24 h)
Official West Virginia fishing report: West Virginia DNR — Lake & stream fishing conditions
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:44 AM · Sunset 6:31 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:04 AM–2:04 AM
- Moon underfoot12:31 PM–2:31 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:50 AM–8:50 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:05 PM–7:05 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:04 AM–2:04 AM · 12:31 PM–2:31 PM Minor 7:50 AM–8:50 AM · 6:05 PM–7:05 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 6/10Good | Major 1:00 AM–3:00 AM · 1:30 PM–3:30 PM Minor 9:07 AM–10:07 AM · 6:47 PM–7:47 PM Calm wind 0–0 mph · pressure falling |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:01 AM–4:01 AM · 2:32 PM–4:32 PM Minor 10:22 AM–11:22 AM · 7:39 PM–8:39 PM Calm wind 1–6 mph · pressure steady |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:05 AM–5:05 AM · 3:37 PM–5:37 PM Minor 11:32 AM–12:32 PM · 8:42 PM–9:42 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:09 AM–6:09 AM · 4:41 PM–6:41 PM Minor 12:32 PM–1:32 PM · 9:53 PM–10:53 PM Calm wind 0–0 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:11 AM–7:11 AM · 5:41 PM–7:41 PM Minor 1:21 PM–2:21 PM · 11:07 PM–12:07 AM Calm wind 0–4 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:09 AM–7:09 AM · 5:36 PM–7:36 PM Minor 1:00 PM–2:00 PM · 11:20 PM–12:20 AM Calm wind 4–5 mph |
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)
| 2 |
| Today | 7, rounded | 7/10 |
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; water temperature measured by USGS at Gauley River Below Rich Creek At Jodie, Wv, 2 mi away. 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 38.23, -81.18 (moon times from astronomical equations, Gauley River above Belva local time).
Weather & wind at Gauley River above Belva
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon69° / 40°SunnyWind NW 1 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday73° / 50°Mostly SunnyWind 0 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday71° / 48°Areas Of Fog then Partly SunnyWind S 1 to 6 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 38.233, -81.181 (grid RLX), issued Oct 26, 2:49 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 BVAW2- Action stage18 ft+15.0 ft from now
- Minor stage20 ft+17.0 ft from now
- Moderate stage24 ft+21.0 ft from now
- Major stage27 ft+24.0 ft from now
- Record crest28.6 ft1932
October 26 in history
62 years of flow records- Today1,410 cfs
- Same date last year705 cfs2025
- Median1,000 cfs
- Normal range642 cfs – 2,380 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19658,710 cfs1977
- Lowest since 1965124 cfs1966
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,101 | +7% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,030 | -56% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 2,330 | -46% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 4,320 | +12% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 3,840 | +202% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,270 | +44% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 885 | -59% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 2,180 | -36% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 3,400 | +16% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 2,940 | +83% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls7 mi · River4,580 cfs116% of normal
- Summersville Lake16 mi · Lake1,634.75 ft−17.25 ft vs normal pool
- Gauley River below Summersville Dam16 mi · River7.77 ftstage 7.77 ft
- New River at Thurmond20 mi · River2,790 cfs103% of normal
- Kanawha River at Charleston30 mi · River4,580 cfs96% of normal
- Sutton Lake40 mi · Lake919.63 ft−2.37 ft vs normal pool
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 03192000 — Gauley River Above Belva, Wv
- Location
- 38.2334, -81.1809 · West Virginia
- Drainage area
- 1,316 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1965–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 3:00 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge BVAW2 — 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.