539.51 ft NGVD29
level 3.5 ft above full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 03374498) and updates live when you load this page.
Is Patoka Lake full?
Yes, and then some — 3.5 ft above full pool as of September 24, 2026
How full is Patoka Lake? Not as a percentage: no storage figure comes through with this gauge reading, and a share of capacity worked out from the elevation alone would be a guess — how much water a reservoir holds at a given level is a curve only the operator's own capacity table knows. Feet from full pool is what the operator publishes, and it is the figure above.
This year vs the years that matter
This year's trace against the finished years this gauge has published. Its public daily record begins in 2023, so the driest and wettest years are not named yet: that takes 8 finished years, and the lake regulars will remember wetter and drier years than any line here.
- 2026 (this year)
- 2025 (last year)
- 2024
Full pool, datum, and the gauge
"Full pool" here means the conservation pool — the level the lake is designed to hold for water supply and recreation, not the flood-control space above it. The full explainer covers flood pool and dead pool too.
| Full pool | 536.00 ft NGVD29 · per USACE Louisville District / Indiana DNR full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Conservation capacity | 178,730 acre-feet · per USACE Louisville District / Indiana DNR capacity reference |
| Gauge | USGS gauge 03374498 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | NGVD29 — Top of normal pool 536.0 NGVD29 (winter drawdown target 532.0; flood pool to 548). Reading ~5.4 ft above normal pool on pull date - within flood-storage range, sanity ok. |
| Last verified | August 15, 2026 |
LakeDates reports lake level, not ramp status. Whether a given ramp or marina is usable at this level varies ramp by ramp — call the marina before you tow.
Quick answers
What is the lake level for Patoka Lake today?
Patoka Lake is at 539.51 ft (NGVD29) as of September 24, 2026 — 3.5 ft above full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons.
Is Patoka Lake full?
Yes and then some — at 539.51 ft on September 24, 2026, Patoka Lake is 3.5 ft above its full pool of 536.00 ft (NGVD29), using flood storage.
How full is Patoka Lake?
Not as a percentage: no storage figure comes through with this gauge reading, and a share of capacity worked out from the elevation alone would be a guess — how much water a reservoir holds at a given level is a curve only the operator's own capacity table knows. Feet from full pool is what the operator publishes, and it is the figure above.
What is full pool for Patoka Lake?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Patoka Lake is 536.00 ft NGVD29, per USACE Louisville District / Indiana DNR full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.