Of the 9 North Carolina lakes here with a published full pool, 9 sit below it. Another 3 have no full-pool figure and read against their own records instead. The newest reading on this page is from September 24, 2026.
| Lake | Level now | Full pool | Against full pool | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fontana Lake TVA | 1686.15 ft | 1703.00 ft | 16.8 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons | September 24, 2026 |
| Lake Norman Duke Energy | 97.30 ft | 100.00 ft | 2.7 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons | September 24, 2026 |
| Falls Lake USACE Wilmington District | 247.18 ft | 251.50 ft | 4.3 ft below full pool — unusually low for late September | September 24, 2026 |
| High Rock Lake Cube Hydro Carolinas (Yadkin Project) | 651.70 ft | 655.00 ft | 3.3 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons | September 24, 2026 |
| Hyco Lake Duke Energy (Hyco Dam) | 407.94 ft | not published | Reading is unusually low for late September. | September 24, 2026 |
| Jordan Lake USACE Wilmington District | 214.63 ft | 216.00 ft | 1.4 ft below full pool — typical for late September | September 24, 2026 |
| Lake Chatuge TVA | 1921.22 ft | 1926.00 ft | 4.8 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons | September 24, 2026 |
| Lake Gaston Dominion Energy | 199.74 ft | 200.00 ft | 0.3 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons | September 23, 2026 |
| Lake James Duke Energy | 97.81 ft | 100.00 ft | 2.2 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons | September 24, 2026 |
| Hiwassee Lake TVA | 1503.70 ft | 1521.00 ft | 17.3 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons | September 24, 2026 |
| Lake Mattamuskeet U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Mattamuskeet NWR) | 0.30 ft | not published | Current reading shown; this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons. | August 19, 2026 |
| W. Kerr Scott Reservoir USACE Wilmington District | 29.30 ft | not published | Reading is typical for late September. | September 24, 2026 |
“Full pool” means the conservation pool — what that is, and what it is not. Lakes with no published figure are read against their own seasonal record instead.
North Carolina lake levels, asked and answered
What are the lake levels in North Carolina today?
Of the 9 North Carolina lakes here with a published full pool, 9 sit below it. Another 3 have no full-pool figure and read against their own records instead. The newest reading on this page is from September 24, 2026.
Which North Carolina lake is furthest below full pool?
Hiwassee Lake is the furthest down of the North Carolina lakes on this page, at 17.3 ft below its full pool.
Where do these North Carolina lake levels come from?
Each row is the gauge the agency that runs the lake publishes — the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the state water agency or the US Geological Survey, depending on the lake. Open a lake and its own page re-reads that gauge as the page loads, wherever the agency lets a browser do it.