Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls
River flow & level · USGS gauge 03193000 · West Virginia · drains 8,385 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 12:30 PM · streamflow
The Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls is running 4,530 cfs, 114% of the median flow for October 26 (3,960 cfs, 88 years). Gage height is 3.51 ft, 23.5 ft below flood stage (27.0 ft). Flow is about the same as 24 hours ago.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumAction (25.0 ft) is 21.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (27.0 ft) is 23.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (30.0 ft) is 26.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (35.0 ft) is 31.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 12:50 PM ETWater 59°F, flow 114% of normal, flow steady, calm wind, pressure falling — excellent fall fishing day (9/10), best window 7:50 AM–8:50 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp59°Fmeasured Oct 26, 12:30 PM · this gauge
- Air temphigh 67°F / low 42°FSunny
- WindCalm0–4 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 7
- PressureFalling-0.15 inHg 6 AM → 6 PM
- Flow114% of normalFlow steady (-0% in 24 h)
Official West Virginia fishing report: West Virginia DNR — Lake & stream fishing conditions
Best fishing times today
Today is an excellent fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
9/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:44 AM · Sunset 6:32 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:04 AM–2:04 AM
- Moon underfoot12:32 PM–2:32 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 | 9/10Excellent | Major 12:04 AM–2:04 AM · 12:32 PM–2:32 PM Minor 7:50 AM–8:50 AM · 6:05 PM–7:05 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph · pressure falling |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 6/10Good | Major 1:00 AM–3:00 AM · 1:30 PM–3:30 PM Minor 9:06 AM–10:06 AM · 6:47 PM–7:47 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure falling |
| WedOct 28 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:01 AM–4:01 AM · 2:32 PM–4:32 PM Minor 10:22 AM–11:22 AM · 7:40 PM–8:40 PM Light wind 2–7 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 · 8:43 PM–9:43 PM Calm wind 0–5 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 0–1 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 1–2 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | 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 Light wind 4–6 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)
| 4 |
| Today | 9, rounded | 9/10 |
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 at this gauge. 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 38.14, -81.21 (moon times from astronomical equations, Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls local time).
Weather & wind at Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon67° / 42°SunnyWind NW 2 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday70° / 49°SunnyWind E 1 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday68° / 48°Mostly CloudyWind S 2 to 7 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 38.138, -81.214 (grid RLX), issued Oct 26, 11:49 AM 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 KANW2- Action stage25 ft+21.5 ft from now
- Minor stage27 ft+23.5 ft from now
- Moderate stage30 ft+26.5 ft from now
- Major stage35 ft+31.5 ft from now
- Record crest37.8 ft1878
October 26 in history
88 years of flow records- Today4,530 cfs
- Same date last year2,360 cfs2025
- Median3,960 cfs
- Normal range2,720 cfs – 7,340 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 193938,400 cfs1972
- Lowest since 19391,330 cfs1952
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 3,895 | -8% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 4,230 | -34% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 6,380 | -22% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 8,140 | +9% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 7,500 | +17% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 6,390 | +13% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 5,670 | -39% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 9,220 | -20% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 11,500 | -8% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 12,500 | -2% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Gauley River above Belva7 mi · River1,470 cfs147% of normal
- New River at Thurmond15 mi · River2,800 cfs104% of normal
- Gauley River below Summersville Dam18 mi · River7.76 ftstage 7.76 ft
- Summersville Lake19 mi · Lake1,634.72 ft−17.28 ft vs normal pool
- Kanawha River at Charleston31 mi · River4,560 cfs95% of normal
- New River at Hinton37 mi · River2,500 cfs96% of normal
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 03193000 — Kanawha River At Kanawha Falls, Wv
- Location
- 38.1382, -81.2143 · West Virginia
- Drainage area
- 8,385 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1939–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 12:30 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 12:50 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge KANW2 — 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.