French Broad River near Fletcher, NC Flow & Water Level

NWS river forecast

Forecast from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service. Issued a few times a day and only while a forecast is active. Not for navigation.

Last 30 days

About this gauge

USGS gauge 03447687 sits on the French Broad River and reads everything draining 640 square miles of the Upper French Broad basin. Its datum sits 2,033 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 2001, 25 years of it.

Where this gauge sits in the drainage

One gauged site sits upstream of here. The closest is French Broad River at Blantyre, NC, reading 296 square miles. This gauge adds the 344 square miles that drain in between. Downstream the next reading comes from French Broad River at Blue Ridge Pkwy at Bent Creek NC at 665 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 96% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to French Broad River at Haywood Rd at Asheville, NC, French Broad River at Asheville, NC and French Broad River at Marshall, NC.

Normal flows here

The French Broad River runs a median of 1,280 cfs at this gauge across 25 years of record. April is the fullest month at a median 1,635 cfs, and October the leanest at 891 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 47,900 cfs in 2024, and the lowest is 153 cfs in 2008.

Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 2001 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.

Flood stages and record crests

The French Broad River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 13 feet. NWS starts watching it at 10 feet. The highest crest on record is 30.6 feet, in September 2024.

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FLCN7. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.