About this river
Catawba River is a 13.2 mile river near Lake Norman Marina in North Carolina. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Catawba River at NC Highway 16 near Millersville, NC (site 0214196125). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 8. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
2017 to 2026
Catawba River typically runs highest in February, at a median 2,860 cfs, and lowest in September, at 1,270 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 81,700 cfs, in 2024.
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) | Relative level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2,830 | 1,730 to 4,100 | |
| February | 2,860 | 2,110 to 4,345 | |
| March | 2,550 | 1,460 to 3,540 | |
| April | 2,440 | 1,535 to 3,845 | |
| May | 2,590 | 1,720 to 4,130 | |
| June | 1,785 | 1,345 to 3,430 | |
| July | 1,520 | 1,190 to 2,060 | |
| August | 1,930 | 1,240 to 3,030 | |
| September | 1,270 | 974 to 2,835 | |
| October | 1,380 | 882 to 3,590 | |
| November | 1,525 | 1,040 to 3,430 | |
| December | 2,020 | 1,100 to 3,460 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 9 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Catawba River at NC Highway 16 near Millersville, NC (site 0214196125). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
8 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Catawba River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Little CreekCatawba River (Lake Norman)Public
- Hager CreekCatawba River (Lake Norman)Public
- Long IslandCatawba River (Lake Norman)Public
- Lookout ShoalsCatawba River (Lookout Shoals Lake)Public
- SharonCatawba River (Lookout Shoals Lake)Public
- LoveladyCatawba River (Lake Hickory)Public
- WittenburgCatawba River (Lake Hickory)Public
- Dusty RidgeCatawba River (Lake Hickory)Public
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Catawba River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
