Catawba River

Live conditions for Catawba River: the gauge, the water temperature, the trend, and what the water is doing today — read the way a guide reads it.

Right now

95cfs→ lowfishable

Inside the wade band, stable low · +2.3% over the last 6 hours.

Water temp67.6°F

Stage1.21 ft

Engine callGO 93 cfs in the wade band · 68°F

Gauge read 7:45 AM CDT · USGS 02137727. Readings refresh every few minutes.

The water

Catawba River is a freestone river below Lake James (Bridgewater Hydro Station) in North Carolina, fished for trout — brown, rainbow, brook. On dam-controlled water the generation schedule is the whole story: the wade window is the no-generation block, and rising water at the gauge means the pulse is arriving.

troutbrown troutrainbow troutbrook trout

Wade and float bands in cfs, the safety notes and the 14-day trend are on the signed-in river page.

Access

Catawba River Park and Canoe/Kayak Launch (Old Fort)carry
Joseph McDowell Historical Catawba River Greenwaywalk in
Phillips Landingcarry
Burnette's Landingramp
Bridgewater Public Fishing Access Area / Boating Access Arearamp
Watermill Bridge / Watermill Road Accessbridge
Corpening Bridge Public Fishing Areawalk in
Morganton Greenway (Catawba River)walk in

Directions to the put-in or wade access ride on every briefing.

The briefing

Know before you drive to Catawba River.

Every morning OUTFISH reads this gauge, the dam schedule, the water temperature, the sky and the tips library, and writes one plain-language call for the waters you track: go or stay home, wade or float, when to be on the water, where to put in, what to tie on — with directions.

Start free — 7 days of Guide

Signed in: the wade and float bands, the full hatch calendar, safety notes, the 14-day trend, shop reports and today's briefing for this water.

This month

Active in October:

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The full calendar by month, with notes, is on the signed-in river page.

Verify it yourself

The same sources the engine reads, straight from the agency:

USGS gauge ↗

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