About this river
Catawba River is a 21.0 mile river near Mountain Island Lake Paddle Co. in North Carolina. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Catawba River below Lookout Shoals Dam near Sharon, NC (site 0214244102). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 8. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
2016 to 2026
Catawba River typically runs highest in February, at a median 3,340 cfs, and lowest in September, at 1,230 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 87,400 cfs, in 2024.
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) | Relative level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2,970 | 1,590 to 4,300 | |
| February | 3,340 | 2,250 to 4,950 | |
| March | 2,820 | 1,660 to 3,930 | |
| April | 2,735 | 1,980 to 4,265 | |
| May | 2,850 | 1,840 to 4,470 | |
| June | 2,045 | 1,410 to 3,335 | |
| July | 1,620 | 1,320 to 2,280 | |
| August | 2,020 | 1,190 to 3,380 | |
| September | 1,230 | 995 to 2,445 | |
| October | 1,390 | 856 to 3,910 | |
| November | 1,620 | 990 to 3,530 | |
| December | 2,100 | 1,140 to 3,340 |
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 10 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Catawba River below Lookout Shoals Dam near Sharon, NC (site 0214244102). 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.
- Mt. Isle Harbor DriveCatawba River (Mountain Island Lake)Public
- RiverbendCatawba River (Mountain Island Lake)Public
- Neck RoadCatawba River (Mountain Island Lake)Public
- LuciaJohnson CreekPublic
- Highwy 73Catawba River (Mountain Island Lake)Public
- Safe Harbor Peninsula Yacht ClubCatawba River (Lake Norman)Public
- Beatties FordCatawba River (Lake Norman)Public
- Little CreekCatawba River (Lake Norman)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.
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