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Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam — water level right now

Catawba County, North Carolina · NWS gauge LKSN7
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
103
minor flood stage
 
114.4
record crest
set 1940-08-30
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 102
minor · 103
moderate · 104
major · 106
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage106extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage104some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage103low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage102water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
1114.41940-08-30+11.4 above
2109.452024-09-28+6.45 above
3108.32020-11-12+5.3 above
4108.192019-06-09+5.19 above
5107.362004-09-09+4.36 above
61071995-01-15+4 above
7106.982013-05-06+3.98 above
8105.51994-08-18+2.5 above
9105.132020-02-07+2.13 above
101051987-03-01+2 above
11104.732010-01-25+1.73 above
12104.732010-01-25+1.73 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Catawba River at Lake Hickory/Oxford Dam 7 mi away · loading… Lyle Creek at Section House Rd 2 NW Conover 9 mi away · loading… Lower Little River near Ellendale 15 mi away · loading… South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK 18 mi away · loading… Catawba River at Lake Rhodhiss Dam 20 mi away · loading… Catawba River at Lake Norman/Cowans Ford Dam 23 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDLKSN7
CountyCatawba
StateNorth Carolina
NWS forecast officeGreer
River forecast centerSoutheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates35.758, -81.089
Time zoneEST5EDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam

Is Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 103 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam?

major flood stage 106 ft, moderate flood stage 104 ft, minor flood stage 103 ft, action stage 102 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 114.4 ft, reached on 1940-08-30 — that is 11.4 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Greer and local emergency management.