Rough River Lake Water Level
Kentucky · Rough River
Full pool is the summer level. Rough River Lake is drawn down about 25 ft to roughly 470 ft over winter for flood storage. Separately, the Corps has held the summer pool near 490 ft rather than 495 since 2023 while the dam is rebuilt, so this lake reads low year-round for reasons that are not drought.
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Water level history
About Rough River Lake
Rough River Lake is a reservoir on the Rough River in Kentucky, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 495 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Rough River Lake's water level
Rough River Lake has two things going on with its level at once, and both matter. The first is the normal seasonal cycle: a summer pool of 495 feet and a winter pool of 470, a 25-foot scheduled swing that takes the lake from about 5,100 acres down to 2,180. Drawdown runs from mid-October to 1 December and refill in the spring.
The second is a dam safety restriction that has been in force since 2023. A 2012 assessment found unacceptable risk from the karst limestone beneath the dam, with concern that seepage was developing through it after the 2011 record pool. As an interim measure the Corps now holds the summer pool five feet low, at 490 rather than 495, starts the spring fill on 1 April rather than mid-March, and limits releases to two feet a day. That restriction is expected to stay for six to eight years. So a lake sitting at 490 in July is not five feet short of full through drought; it is being deliberately held there while the dam is rebuilt.
The rebuilding is substantial. Phase 1, finished in 2017, put more than three hundred grout holes up to 250 feet deep along the dam centreline. Phase 2 was awarded in December 2025 and broke ground in July 2026: a new outlet works on the left abutment, a full-depth cutoff wall running 75 to 190 feet deep across the dam crest, and the relocation of Kentucky Highway 79 onto the dam top, on a contract worth $320 million with options to $655 million and a programme figure around $800 million. More than a hundred piezometers report every fifteen minutes. Meanwhile the lake set its record on 7 April 2025 at 530.43 feet, six and a half feet over the spillway crest, breaking the 527.35 feet set in May 2011. The state park's main campground is closed during the work and the beach is closed until further notice.
Rough River Lake — frequently asked
Why is Rough River Lake being held below its summer pool?
A dam safety restriction. A 2012 assessment found unacceptable risk from the karst limestone under the dam, with seepage concerns that grew after the 2011 record pool. Since 2023 the Corps has held the summer pool at 490 feet instead of the normal 495, started the spring fill on 1 April rather than mid-March, and limited releases to two feet a day. The restriction is expected to last six to eight years.
What are Rough River Lake's summer and winter pool levels?
Normal summer pool is 495 feet above sea level and winter pool is 470, a 25-foot scheduled swing that takes the lake from about 5,100 acres down to 2,180. Drawdown runs from mid-October to 1 December and the refill happens in spring. Note that the summer target is currently restricted to 490 feet for dam safety work.
Is Rough River Lake low because of drought?
Usually not. In winter the lake is deliberately drawn down to 470 feet for flood storage, so a reading in the low 470s between December and March is the schedule. In summer the lake is currently being held at 490 feet rather than 495 because of the dam safety project. Between those two, most low readings at Rough River are planned rather than dry weather.
What work is being done on Rough River Dam?
A major rebuild. Phase 1, completed in 2017, drilled more than three hundred grout holes up to 250 feet deep along the dam centreline. Phase 2, awarded in December 2025 and started in July 2026, adds a new outlet works on the left abutment, a full-depth cutoff wall 75 to 190 feet deep across the dam crest, and the relocation of Kentucky Highway 79. The contract runs $320 million with options to $655 million, over six to eight years.
What is Rough River Lake's record high level?
530.43 feet on 7 April 2025, six and a half feet above the spillway crest at 524. That broke the previous record of 527.35 feet set on 4 May 2011. The lake reached the spillway crest late on 4 April 2025. Above 527 feet, structures and roads upstream of the lake start to be affected as well.
What is open at Rough River Dam State Resort Park?
Less than usual, because of the dam work. The main campground is closed during the safety modifications and the beach is closed until further notice. The 40-room lodge remains, along with cottages, a marina with 120 open slips, 31 houseboat slips and 48 covered slips, and a primitive tent camping area near the airstrip. The park also has its own public-use airport, in operation since 1963.
Other lakes near Rough River Lake
- Lake BarkleyKY/TN
- Nolin River LakeKY
- Barren River LakeKY
- Laurel River LakeKY
- Cave Run LakeKY
- Kentucky LakeKY/TN
See current levels for all 10 Kentucky lakes and reservoirs →
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