Grayson Lake water level — Kentucky
Grayson Lake in Kentucky was last measured at 645.31 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
- 24,360 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/Grayson-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 Grayson Lake
Grayson Lake is held back by Grayson Dam (also recorded as Grayson Lake) , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 120 ft high and running 1,460 ft along its crest , built across LITTLE SANDY RIVER in Carter County , near GRAYSON . It was completed in 1968 , 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;other;fish and wildlife pond;recreation.
It is founded on rock, 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 210 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)3;valve1.
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 1,510 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 118,990 acre-ft against a normal storage of 29,390 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 74,600 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY03030 , 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 Grayson Lake compares nearby
4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yatesville Lake | KY | 630.43 ft | 29 km |
| Paintsville Lake | KY | 709.57 ft | 47 km |
| Cave Run Lake | KY | 730.32 ft | 50 km |
| Beech Fork Lake | WV | 592.62 ft | 50 km |
| East Lynn Lake | WV | 662.40 ft | 54 km |
| Dewey Lake | KY | 650.50 ft | 62 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Grayson Lake?
- As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 645.31 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Grayson 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/Grayson-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.