Around here
Around Big Creek
- Oconaluftee Visitor CenterVisitor center17.3 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Waterrock Knob Visitor Center (Milepost 451.2)Visitor center18.7 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Sugarlands Visitor CenterVisitor center21.7 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Great Smoky Mountains National ParkRecreation area21.8 mi (opens in a new tab)
Before you go
- Timed entryGreat Smoky Mountains National Park Vehicle Reservations
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Big Creek is an 8.3 mile river near Raft Outdoor Adventures in Tennessee. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Pigeon R below Power Plant near Waterville, NC (site 03460795). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 5. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1997 to 2026
Big Creek typically runs highest in March, at a median 1,430 cfs, and lowest in September, at 375 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 42,700 cfs, in 2024.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,170 | 733 to 1,780 |
| February | 1,370 | 870 to 1,980 |
| March | 1,430 | 1,020 to 1,820 |
| April | 1,260 | 917 to 1,785 |
| May | 948 | 693 to 1,490 |
| June | 709 | 524 to 1,045 |
| July | 616 | 461 to 880 |
| August | 546 | 292 to 753 |
| September | 375 | 164 to 729 |
| October | 422 | 225 to 731 |
| November | 518 | 268 to 1,035 |
| December | 864 | 501 to 1,480 |
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 29 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Pigeon R below Power Plant near Waterville, NC (site 03460795). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Made to print
Put Big Creek on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Big Creek'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.
