Dewey Lake water level — Kentucky
Dewey Lake in Kentucky was last measured at 650.50 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (+0.0 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 14,451 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- →Steady
+0.0 ft over the trend window
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).
Source: USACE LRH/Dewey-Lake, 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 2013 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Dewey Lake
Dewey Lake is held back by Dewey Dam (also recorded as Dewey Lake) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 118 ft high and running 913 ft along its crest , built across JOHNS CREEK OF LEVISA FORK in Floyd County , near PAINTSVILLE . It was completed in 1949 , and is owned by USACE - Huntington District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CELRH.
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;fish and wildlife pond;recreation.
It is founded on soil, with a earth 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 60 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)3.
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 1,100 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 93,300 acre-ft against a normal storage of 17,200 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 22,800 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY03029 , 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 →)
How Dewey Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paintsville Lake | KY | 709.57 ft | 17 km |
| Yatesville Lake | KY | 630.43 ft | 43 km |
| Fishtrap Lake | KY | 757.46 ft | 44 km |
| East Lynn Lake | WV | 662.40 ft | 55 km |
| Grayson Lake | KY | 645.31 ft | 62 km |
| Carr Creek Lake | KY | 1,028.03 ft | 62 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Dewey Lake?
- As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 650.50 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Dewey 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 USACE LRH/Dewey-Lake, 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.