Cave Run Lake water level — Kentucky
Cave Run Lake in Kentucky was last measured at 730.32 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 4:05 AM (UTC-04:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (+0.0 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 225,418 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- →Steady
+0.0 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 03249498 · USACE LRL/CaveRun, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
USACE's continuous elevation record for this project begins in 2002 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Cave Run Lake
Cave Run Lake is held back by Cave Run Dam (also recorded as Cave Run Lake) , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 148 ft high and running 2,700 ft along its crest , built across LICKING RIVER in Bath County , near FARMERS . It was completed in 1965 , 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;other;recreation.
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 650 ft wide. Its outlet works use uncontrolled0;vertical lift2.
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 8,270 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 614,100 acre-ft against a normal storage of 222,581 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 158,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY03055 , 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 Cave Run Lake compares nearby
5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson Lake | KY | 645.31 ft | 50 km |
| Paintsville Lake | KY | 709.57 ft | 65 km |
| Yatesville Lake | KY | 630.43 ft | 73 km |
| Dewey Lake | KY | 650.50 ft | 82 km |
| Buckhorn Lake at Buckhorn | KY | 782.23 ft | 87 km |
| Trace Branch at Trace Branch Campground at Confluence | KY | 782.77 ft | 95 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Cave Run Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 4:05 AM (UTC-04:00), the pool elevation was 730.32 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Cave Run Lake 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 03249498 · USACE LRL/CaveRun, 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.