What is the current water level of Murphysboro?

As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 339.70 ft (datum NAVD88). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.

Is Murphysboro 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.

Murphysboro water level — Illinois

Illinois · USACE · reading Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00)

Murphysboro in Illinois was last measured at 339.70 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−1.1 ft).

Current reading Murphysboro · Illinois

Pool elevation: 339.70 ft
% of conservation pool full: Not reported
Storage: Not reported
Recent trend: ↓Falling

Recent trend

Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 7, 2026 — a 5-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).

Not for navigation or safety decisions (why →)

Source: USACE MVS/Murphysboro-Big Muddy, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →

The dam behind Murphysboro

Murphysboro is held back by Lake Murphysboro Dam (also recorded as Lake Murphysboro) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 46 ft high and running 590 ft along its crest , built across TRIB BIG MUDDY RIVER in Jackson County , near SAND RIDGE-OFFSTREAM . It was completed in 1947 , and is owned by ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (a state owner) , to a design credited to C-S ENGINEERING CO..

Its recorded primary purpose is recreation — holding a stable pool through the season is an operating goal, so a level well off normal in summer is unusual rather than routine .

It is founded on unlisted/unknown, with a unlisted/unknown core. Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 100 ft wide. Its outlet works use uncontrolled.

NID classes it significant hazard potential: a failure would be expected to damage property and infrastructure rather than cost lives. It is a consequence rating, not a condition rating.

At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 166 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 4,281 acre-ft against a normal storage of 2,375 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 9,171 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by IDNR.

Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record IL00021 , filed by Illinois — 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 →)

How Murphysboro compares nearby

All 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling, suggesting a regional pattern rather than an operation specific to this dam.

Nearby lakes

The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.

Lakes nearest to Murphysboro, with current level and distance.
Lake	State	Level	Distance
Sand Ridge	IL	337.01 ft	9 km
Plumfield	IL	355.97 ft	31 km
Marion	IL	416.58 ft	39 km
Rend Lake Tw	IL	373.65 ft	45 km
Sub	IL	405.60 ft	54 km
Sub Casey	IL	405.58 ft	59 km

Frequently asked questions

What is the current water level of Murphysboro?: As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 339.70 ft (datum NAVD88). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
Is Murphysboro 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/Murphysboro-Big Muddy, 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.