Carlyle Pool water level — Illinois
Carlyle Pool in Illinois was last measured at 445.54 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 30, 2026, 1:00 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (−0.1 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- →Steady
−0.1 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 30, 2026 — a 89-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USACE MVS/Carlyle Lk-Kaskaskia, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Carlyle Pool
Carlyle Pool is held back by Carlyle Dam (also recorded as Carlyle Lake) , a concrete structure , standing 68 ft high and running 6,570 ft along its crest , built across KASKASKIA RIVER in Clinton County , near CARLYLE . It was completed in 1966 , and is owned by USACE - St. Louis District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CEMVS.
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;other;navigation;fish and wildlife pond;recreation;water supply.
It is founded on rock, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 152 ft wide. Its outlet works use tainter (radial)0.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 24,580 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 1,286,900 acre-ft against a normal storage of 233,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 160,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record IL00113 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USACE CWMS Data and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
Other gauges at this site
A second gauge reports at this same structure. Its readings are listed here rather than on a separate page, because it measures the same water.
| Gauge | Source | Elevation | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlyle Lake Tw | USACE MVS/Carlyle Lk TW-Kaskaskia | 411.06 ft (NAVD88) | — |
How Carlyle Pool compares nearby
None of the 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are steady right now — this lake's movement looks specific to its own operation rather than shared regional conditions.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlyle Lake Tw | IL | 411.06 ft | 0 km |
| Posey | IL | 405.66 ft | 9 km |
| Breese | IL | 414.67 ft | 13 km |
| Hoffman | IL | 422.71 ft | 14 km |
| New Minden | IL | 419.08 ft | 20 km |
| Pierron | IL | 442.09 ft | 22 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Carlyle Pool?
- As of Aug 30, 2026, 1:00 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 445.54 ft (datum NAVD88). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Carlyle Pool full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USACE MVS/Carlyle Lk-Kaskaskia, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Illinois
See every lake tracked in Illinois, or read the methodology behind these figures.