River stage
Fayetteville, Cape Fear River
- River level
- 9.99 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- +0.06 ft
- Recent high
- 14.56 ft
- Recent low
- 9.11 ft
Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS FAYN7
- 30-day change
- +0.26 ft
- Average
- 9.98 ft
- Readings
- 122
- Data span
- 122 days
- Record crest
- 68.90 ft
In brief
The Cape Fear River at Fayetteville, NC read 9.99 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 25.01 ft below action stage. That is 0.26 ft higher than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge FAYN7
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 68.90 ft | 1945-09-21 |
| 2 | 68.00 ft | 1908-08-29 |
| 3 | 65.30 ft | 1929-10-04 |
| 4 | 64.70 ft | 1928-09-22 |
| 5 | 61.58 ft | 2018-09-19 |
| 6 | 58.94 ft | 2016-10-10 |
| 7 | 58.50 ft | 1901-05-24 |
| 8 | 58.00 ft | 1895-01-12 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 32.00 ft
Action Stage. Banks of the Cape Fear River begin to overflow.
- 35.00 ft
Minor flooding begins. The boat ramp and lower parking lot at Riverside Bait and Tackle off Person Street are flooded. The stage and lower seating area at the Cape Fear Amphitheater are flooded.
- 48.00 ft
Moderate flooding begins. The upper parking areas at Riverside Bait and Tackle are flooded. There is significant lowland flooding downstream.
- 50.00 ft
There is significant overflow on the left bank about 2 miles downstream of the NC24 bridge.
- 58.00 ft
Major flooding begins. The right bank widens to several hundred feet and there is significant flooding of downstream structures.
- 59.00 ft
The river will reach the bottom of the railroad bridge just downstream of the Person Street bridge. Debris will get stuck against the railroad bridge.
- 60.00 ft
Water begins to bypass the left end of the NC-24 bridge for several hundred yards. Two miles downstream, the left bank widens to 1000 feet and to a depth of several feet. Cumberland Tractor lot begins to flood.
- 64.00 ft
Several thousand acres of land and hundreds of structures on both sides of the river will be flooded. Water reaches the under-clearance of the downstream railroad trestle. Downstream about 2 miles, the river will spread to a width of approximately 1 mile.
- 69.00 ft
The city of Fayetteville begins to flood and up to 150 homes would be threatened. At this stage the river widens to a mile or more in some places.
- 72.00 ft
The river will spread to a width of up to 2 miles, with several thousand structures threatened.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cape Fear River flooding at Fayetteville?
No. The Cape Fear River at Fayetteville is at 9.99 ft, 25.01 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Fayetteville?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 35 ft, minor flooding 35 ft, moderate flooding 48 ft and major flooding 58 ft.
What is the highest the Cape Fear River has been at Fayetteville?
The highest crest on record is 68.9 ft, on 1945-09-21.
Is the Cape Fear River high or low right now at Fayetteville?
At 9.99 ft it is higher than 66% of readings over the last 122 days.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge FAYN7); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 02104000). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.