Kayak Love

North Carolina · river

Buckeye Creek above Buckeye Lake near Cannon Gap

Live conditions for this USGS-monitored stretch of water, updated every 15 minutes.

62of 100

Fair

Paddle Score, from live wind and water conditions

Photograph taken near Buckeye Creek above Buckeye Lake near Cannon Gap
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Elk River Trail October 2022 12 (Elk River).jpg by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

17 mph

gusting to 26 mph

Air temp

62°F

1% chance of rain

River flow

1.54 cfs

normal for this date

Best day to paddle this week

Thursday · 99

  • Today

    61

  • Tue

    54

  • Wed

    70

  • Thu

    99

    Best

  • Fri

    84

  • Sat

    84

  • Sun

    91

Scored from each day's peak forecast wind, heat, and rain chance — river flow isn't forecastable, so check back before you load the boat.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
10p1625
11p1726
12a1625
1a1624
2a1826
3a1827
4a1825
5a1724
6a1620
7a1418
8a1316
9a1114

Is this flow normal for September 8?

Today's 1.54 cfs is 77% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 1 cfs, across 6 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind17 mph — hard work, whitecaps likely-38

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, so the flow and weather are real — but we haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

Nearby water

All paddling spots in North Carolina