Barren River Lake Water Level
Kentucky · Barren River
Full pool is the summer level. Barren River Lake is drawn down about 24 ft to roughly 528 ft over winter for flood storage, so a lower reading outside the summer season is usually scheduled rather than drought.
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Water level history
About Barren River Lake
Barren River Lake is a reservoir on the Barren River in Kentucky, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 552 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Barren River Lake's water level
Barren River Lake runs one of the largest scheduled seasonal drawdowns of any lake on this site, and knowing the schedule is the difference between reading the gauge correctly and misreading it badly. The Corps holds a summer pool of 552 feet from 15 April to 15 September. From mid-September it eases down two feet to 550 by 15 October, then drops the remaining 22 feet between mid-October and 1 December, holding a winter pool of 528 feet until 15 March, then refilling across about a month. That is a 24-foot annual swing, and at winter pool the lake holds under 80,000 acre-feet against roughly 246,000 in summer.
So a reading of 530 feet in January is the lake doing exactly what it was built to do, not a drought. The point of the winter pool is to have that space empty when Kentucky gets its wettest months, and in April 2025 it was needed: the lake reached 586.04 feet on the 16th, 34 feet above summer pool and within four feet of the uncontrolled spillway crest at 590. That broke a record of 583 feet that had stood since March 1989. Port Oliver recreation area stayed closed for the entire 2025 season afterwards, with the Corps letting water down at roughly five inches a day.
The lake is operated alongside Green River Lake and Nolin River Lake as one system on the Green River basin, all three drawing down for winter and all three holding water back during a regional flood. Below the dam, the Barren runs to the Green River past Bowling Green. One consequence of the summer pool worth knowing before a July trip: state fisheries staff report that from mid-June through September, oxygen levels in the lake are too low to support fish below about fifteen feet, so the fish are shallower than the depth finder might suggest. Hybrid striped bass are stocked at around 200,000 a year and the walleye here carry an 18 to 26 inch protected slot.
Barren River Lake — frequently asked
What are Barren River Lake's summer and winter pool levels?
Summer pool is 552 feet above sea level, held from 15 April to 15 September. Winter pool is 528 feet, held from 1 December to 15 March. That is a 24-foot scheduled swing. The lake eases down two feet to 550 by mid-October, drops the remaining 22 feet between mid-October and 1 December, and refills across roughly a month in late March and early April.
Is Barren River Lake low in winter because of drought?
Almost never. The winter level is a deliberate drawdown to 528 feet, twenty-four feet below summer pool, so the reservoir has empty space to catch runoff during Kentucky's wettest months. A reading around 528 between December and mid-March is the schedule, not a problem. The lake refills to 552 feet by around 15 April.
What is Barren River Lake's record high level?
586.04 feet on 16 April 2025, which is 34 feet above summer pool and within four feet of the uncontrolled spillway crest at 590. That broke the previous record of 583 feet set in March 1989. Port Oliver recreation area remained closed for the whole 2025 season afterwards while the Corps let the lake down at about five inches a day.
How is Barren River Lake operated with other lakes?
It is one of three Corps reservoirs in the Green River basin, with Green River Lake and Nolin River Lake, all operated to store excess runoff until downstream rivers recede. All three run seasonal pools and all three hold water back during a regional flood, releasing the minimum their water control manuals allow rather than emptying on their own schedule.
Why do the fish stay shallow at Barren River Lake in summer?
Because there is no oxygen deeper down. State fisheries staff report that from mid-June through September, oxygen levels in the lake are too low to support fish below about fifteen feet. Anything your electronics show deeper than that in high summer is not holding fish. Hybrid striped bass move to the main lake around the mid-to-lower-lake islands, or the dam area at night.
What fish are in Barren River Lake?
Crappie are excellent in both numbers and keeper size, and hybrid striped bass are stocked at around 200,000 a year with 25-inch-plus fish available. Largemouth bass show good numbers with above-average numbers of 18-inch fish; smallmouth are low density but good quality near the dam. Walleye carry an 18 to 26 inch protected slot, so fish in that range must be released.
Other lakes near Barren River Lake
- Cave Run LakeKY
- Lake BarkleyKY/TN
- Lake CumberlandKY
- Rough River LakeKY
- Dale Hollow LakeKY/TN
- Nolin River LakeKY
See current levels for all 10 Kentucky lakes and reservoirs →
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