Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn water level — Kentucky
Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn in Kentucky was last measured at 782.23 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 4:15 AM (UTC-04:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (−0.1 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 20,260 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- →Steady
−0.1 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 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: USGS site 03280800 · USACE LRL/Buckhorn, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 408 sq mi of contributing watershed. USACE's continuous storage record for this project begins in 2018 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn
Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn is held back by Buckhorn Dam (also recorded as Buckhorn Lake) , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 160 ft high and running 1,020 ft along its crest , built across MIDDLEFORK KENTUCKY RIVER in Perry County , near BUCKHORN . It was completed in 1960 , and is owned by USACE - Louisville District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CELRL.
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;recreation.
Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 140 ft wide. Its outlet works use uncontrolled0;vertical lift3.
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 1,230 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 167,900 acre-ft against a normal storage of 32,100 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 138,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY03027 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn compares nearby
3 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also steady right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trace Branch at Trace Branch Campground at Confluence | KY | 782.77 ft | 12 km |
| Carr Creek Lake | KY | 1,028.03 ft | 41 km |
| Martins Fork Lake | KY | 1,309.83 ft | 68 km |
| Laurel River | KY | 1,019.94 ft | 71 km |
| Paintsville Lake | KY | 709.57 ft | 77 km |
| North Fork of Pound Lake | VA | 1,611.52 ft | 78 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 4:15 AM (UTC-04:00), the pool elevation was 782.23 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn 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 USGS site 03280800 · USACE LRL/Buckhorn, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Kentucky
See every lake tracked in Kentucky, or read the methodology behind these figures.