Gauge Description:

Pocket Creek has a small (5 square miles) watershed similar in size to Little Possum and the Bear above the confluence with Daniel Creek.  As such, it is difficult to catch, but if you know what to look for, it is certainly attainable.  There is a rain gauge down in the Sequatchie Valley in Whitwell that is only a few miles away.  Look for around 2 inches of rain with optimum water table, or 3 inches during dry times.  amazon.nws.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/hads/dipper/dcpInfo2.pl
 

There are also some stream gauges that can correlate flows in Pocket Creek.  The Collins River in McMinnville is probably the most reliable:  waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv  Keep in mind that this gauge is way downstream and that it is more useful to indicate current water table conditions.  By the time the water has hit here, it will likely be too late to mobilize.

At the putin, where Bridge Creek Road crosses Pocket Creek, there is a gauge on the upstream river left side of the bridge.  Look for half a foot for a minimum and a foot for optimum flows.  1.5 feet would be very high and less than ideal.

There is alot of limestone in the valley, and if the water table isn't up and flows are not adequate, much of the water can be lost, resulting in a really long hike up and out, or up to 5-6 miles of boat dragging downstream.  The hike out alleviates this problem.

Finally, keep in mind that these size creeks don't hold water long.  Being there 3 hours after a 1.5 inch rain will likely yield a higher flow than being there 12 hours after a 3 inch rain.