Around here
Around Nantahala River
Before you go
- Timed entryGreat Smoky Mountains National Park Vehicle Reservations
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Nantahala River is a 45.4 mile river near Lake Chatuge Cruise in Georgia. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Nantahala River near Rainbow Springs, NC (site 03504000). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 5. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1941 to 2026
Nantahala River typically runs highest in March, at a median 262 cfs, and lowest in September, at 86 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 3,620 cfs, in 2004.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 236 | 170 to 331 |
| February | 256 | 192 to 369 |
| March | 262 | 204 to 348 |
| April | 243 | 186 to 314 |
| May | 188 | 152 to 247 |
| June | 143 | 109 to 200 |
| July | 112 | 83 to 162 |
| August | 99 | 70 to 147 |
| September | 86 | 60 to 129 |
| October | 88 | 61 to 138 |
| November | 115 | 82 to 189 |
| December | 181 | 122 to 277 |
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 86 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Nantahala River near Rainbow Springs, NC (site 03504000). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
3 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Nantahala River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Nantahala 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.





