Roanoke River at Lafayette, VA Water Level Today

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 02054500 sits on the Roanoke River and reads everything draining 254 square miles of the Upper Roanoke basin. Its datum sits 1,174 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1944, 82 years of it.

Where this gauge sits in the drainage

One gauged site sits upstream of here. The closest is South Fork Roanoke River near Shawsville, VA, reading 109 square miles. This gauge adds the 145 square miles that drain in between. Downstream the next reading comes from Roanoke River at Glenvar, VA at 281 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 90% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to Roanoke River at Roanoke, VA and Roanoke River at Niagara, VA.

Normal flows here

The Roanoke River runs a median of 134 cfs at this gauge across 82 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 301 cfs, and September the leanest at 60 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 11,700 cfs in 1972, and the lowest is 10 cfs in 1959.

Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1944 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.

Flood stages and record crests

The Roanoke River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 8 feet. NWS starts watching it at 6 feet. The highest crest on record is 15.6 feet, in June 1972.

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LAAV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.