Can your cbc iron levels be normal but still have iron deficiency?

Two different things: You mention two different things in your question. CBC is complete blood count. You can have low iron and still have a normal blood count. However, iron deficiency, by definition , means that you have low iron levels. Low levels of iron may also occur without deficiency, if your iron binding is low (e.g. In chronic diseases). An elevated iron binding capacity (TIBC) confirms iron deficiency.

Yes: You can have a red blood count in the normal range and still have iron deficiency. The clues are in the other numbers reported in a CBC or complete blood count. If iron deficient the red cells are smaller and have less hemoglobin (low MCV and mchc) the best measure of iron status is not the iron level but usually the ferritin level, the blood protein that carries iron not bound up by hemoglobin.