971.48 ft NGVD29
level 2.5 ft below full pool — typical for mid-August
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 02071900) and updates live when you load this page.
Philpott Lake through the year
The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 2003–2020. 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.
- 2020 (wettest on record)
- 2008 (driest on record)
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 | 974.00 ft NGVD29 · per USACE Wilmington District full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Gauge | USGS gauge 02071900 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | NGVD29 — CWMS SAW project 'ROA PLP': Top of Power / Bottom of Flood = 974.0 ft. |
| 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 Philpott Lake right now?
Philpott Lake is at 971.48 ft (NGVD29) as of August 15, 2026 — 2.5 ft below full pool — typical for mid-August
Is Philpott Lake full?
Not quite — at 971.48 ft, Philpott Lake is 2.5 ft below its full pool of 974.00 ft (NGVD29).
What is full pool for Philpott Lake?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Philpott Lake is 974.00 ft NGVD29, per USACE Wilmington District full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.