357.16 ft USACE TVA project datum (ft MSL)
level 1.8 ft below full pool — typical for mid-August
Reading comes straight from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Access to Water data (USACE series KYDK2-KENTUCKY.Elev-Pool.Inst.1Hour.0.tva-raw) and updates live when you load this page.
Kentucky Lake through the year
The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 2014–2026. The summer drawdown — and how this year sits in it — shows up without reading a single number.
This year vs the years that matter
This year's trace against last year and the driest and wettest years on record — the drought-context question every lake regular asks.
- 2026 (wettest on record)
- 2022 (driest on record)
- 2025 (last year)
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 | 359.00 ft USACE TVA project datum (ft MSL) · per TVA full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Gauge | USACE series KYDK2-KENTUCKY.Elev-Pool.Inst.1Hour.0.tva-raw · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Access to Water data |
| Datum | USACE TVA project datum (ft MSL) — Full pool = 2026 guide-curve max (359.0) from LRD CWMS; CWMS returns feet with unit=EN. TVA-fed pool gauge at Kentucky Dam. |
| 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
How full is Kentucky Lake right now?
Kentucky Lake is at 357.16 ft (USACE TVA project datum (ft MSL)) as of August 15, 2026 — 1.8 ft below full pool — typical for mid-August
Is Kentucky Lake full?
Not quite — at 357.16 ft, Kentucky Lake is 1.8 ft below its full pool of 359.00 ft (USACE TVA project datum (ft MSL)).
What is full pool for Kentucky Lake?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Kentucky Lake is 359.00 ft USACE TVA project datum (ft MSL), per TVA full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.