297.54 ft NGVD29
level At full pool — on the high side for mid-August
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 02485600) and updates live when you load this page.
Ross Barnett Reservoir through the year
The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 1998–2026. 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.
- 2014 (wettest on record)
- 2000 (driest on record)
- 2025 (last year)
- 2026 (this 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 | 297.50 ft NGVD29 · per Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (PRVWSD) full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Gauge | USGS gauge 02485600 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | NGVD29 — 297.5 ft = PRVWSD summer normal pool; board holds 296.0 ft Nov-Mar. Param is 00065 but gauge datum is 0.00 ft NGVD29, so gage height reads directly as elevation. |
| 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 Ross Barnett Reservoir right now?
Ross Barnett Reservoir is at 297.54 ft (NGVD29) as of August 14, 2026 — At full pool — on the high side for mid-August
Is Ross Barnett Reservoir full?
Yes — at 297.54 ft, Ross Barnett Reservoir is at full pool (297.50 ft NGVD29).
What is full pool for Ross Barnett Reservoir?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Ross Barnett Reservoir is 297.50 ft NGVD29, per Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (PRVWSD) full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.