Herrington Lake water level — Kentucky
Herrington Lake in Kentucky was last measured at 740.15 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 3:45 AM (UTC-04:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−1.4 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−1.4 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 03286000, 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 439 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Herrington Lake
Herrington Lake is held back by Dix River Dam (also recorded as Herrington Lake) , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 287 ft high and running 1,700 ft along its crest , built across DIX RIVER in Mercer County , near HIGH BRIDGE . It was completed in 1925 , and is owned by KENTUCKY UTILITIES COMPANY (a private owner) , to a design credited to L.F.HARZA.
Its recorded primary purpose is hydroelectric — releases follow generation schedules, so the level can move on a daily cycle that has nothing to do with drought . It also serves hydroelectric;fish and wildlife pond;recreation.
Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 627 ft wide.
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. Its most recent condition assessment was satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 10/02/2024.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 2,940 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 320,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 230,500 acre-ft. It is regulated by KY Division of Water.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY00316 , filed by Kentucky — 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 Herrington Lake compares nearby
2 of 5 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylorsville Lake | KY | 547.04 ft | 59 km |
| Green River Lake | KY | 675.24 ft | 82 km |
| Laurel Dam | KY | — | 99 km |
| Laurel River | KY | 1,019.94 ft | 104 km |
| Wolf Creek Dam | KY | 703.70 ft | 109 km |
| Cave Run Lake | KY | 730.32 ft | 109 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Herrington Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:45 AM (UTC-04:00), the pool elevation was 740.15 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Herrington 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 03286000, 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.