Kayak Love

North Carolina · river

Cheoah River near Bearpen Gap near Tapoco

USGS monitoring location. Launch access and paddling suitability have not been verified.

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

85

Favorable weather

Weather score out of 100

Weather only. This is a monitoring station, not a verified launch. Access, hazards and suitable flow are unknown.

Weather observation: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:45:00 GMT.

River observation: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:00:00 GMT.

Page checked: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:50:37 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Cheoah River near Bearpen Gap near Tapoco
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Cheoah Hydroelectric Dam Graham Co NC.jpg by Dantripphoto, CC BY-SA 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

7 mph

gusting to 10 mph

Air temp

50°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

99.2 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Wednesday · 100

  • Sun

    98

  • Mon

    95

  • Tue

    96

  • Wed

    100

    Best

  • Thu

    100

  • Fri

    100

  • Sat

    100

Compares forecast wind, air temperature and rain. Does not assess river flow, swell, currents, water temperature or launch access. All times are local to this location.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
11p710
12a610
1a610
2a79
3a710
4a69
5a711
6a710
7a79
8a57
9a33
10a25

Is this flow normal for October 19?

Today's 99.2 cfs is 20% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 83 cfs, across 26 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind — 7 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Cold — 50°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-15

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, and uses available public readings. 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 →