Kentucky · USACE Louisville District

Rough River Lake water level

Today's reading against full pool and Rough River Lake's own seasonal history.

FULL POOL 490 492 494 496
Elevation, feet (NGVD29)

as of August 15, 2026

495.20 ft NGVD29

level 0.2 ft above full pool — typical for mid-August

Reading comes straight from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Access to Water data (USACE series Rough.Elev.Inst.0.0.lrldlb-rev) and updates live when you load this page.


Rough River Lake through the year

The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 2003–2026. The summer drawdown — and how this year sits in it — shows up without reading a single number.

full pool 470 480 490 500 510 JFMAMJJASOND
Median and normal range by day of year, 2003–2026 · elevation, feet (NGVD29)

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.

full pool 480 500 520 JFMAMJJASOND
  • 2008 (wettest on record)
  • 2026 (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 495.00 ft NGVD29 · per USACE Louisville District full-pool reference
Gauge USACE series Rough.Elev.Inst.0.0.lrldlb-rev · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Access to Water data
Datum NGVD29 — CWMS LRL project datum NGVD29 matches USGS 62614. Top of Conservation 495.0 ft (winter 470).
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 Rough River Lake right now?

Rough River Lake is at 495.20 ft (NGVD29) as of August 15, 2026 — 0.2 ft above full pool — typical for mid-August

Is Rough River Lake full?

Yes and then some — at 495.20 ft, Rough River Lake is 0.2 ft above its full pool of 495.00 ft (NGVD29), using flood storage.

What is full pool for Rough River Lake?

Full pool (the conservation pool) for Rough River Lake is 495.00 ft NGVD29, per USACE Louisville District full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.