River Conditions
Illustrated map of Lake Norman

River stage

Princeton, Little River

River level
0.41 ft
Status
Below flood stage
7-day change
-0.04 ft
Recent high
5.71 ft
Recent low
0.13 ft

Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS PNTN7

30-day change
-0.35 ft
Average
0.88 ft
Readings
121
Data span
122 days
Record crest
14.72 ft

In brief

The Little River at Princeton, NC read 0.41 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 8.59 ft below action stage. That is 0.35 ft lower than 30 days earlier.

Source: National Weather Service gauge PNTN7

River level timeline

0.10.71.42.02.7SEP 13SEP 18SEP 23SEP 28OCT 03OCT 08OCT 13HIGH 2.38LOW 0.390.42 ftLAST READING

Stage threshold profile

Action stage 9.00 ftMinor flooding 12.00 ftModerate flooding 14.00 ftMajor flooding 16.00 ft CURRENT 0.41 ft

Highest crests on record

RankCrestDate
1 14.72 ft 2016-10-10
2 13.94 ft 1964-10-06
3 13.50 ft 1960-10-25
4 12.80 ft 1954-01-24
5 12.70 ft 1934-12-02
6 12.40 ft 1952-03-06
7 12.34 ft 2018-09-18
8 12.20 ft 1958-08-29

Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.

What happens at each level

  1. 6.00 ft

    WATER REACHES THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL HOUSE.

  2. 12.00 ft

    WATER FLOODS DIRT ROADS ADJACENT TO GAGE SITE.

  3. 14.00 ft

    EXTENSIVE FLOODING OF PASTURE LAND.

  4. 16.00 ft

    FLOODING THREATENS RAINS CROSSROADS ROAD BRIDGE UPSTREAM OF THE GAGE SITE.

Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Little River flooding at Princeton?

No. The Little River at Princeton is at 0.41 ft, 8.59 ft below action stage.

What is the flood stage at Princeton?

The National Weather Service sets action stage 9 ft, minor flooding 12 ft, moderate flooding 14 ft and major flooding 16 ft.

What is the highest the Little River has been at Princeton?

The highest crest on record is 14.72 ft, on 2016-10-10.

Is the Little River high or low right now at Princeton?

At 0.41 ft it is higher than 18% of readings over the last 122 days.

Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge PNTN7); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 02088500). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.