Wolf Creek Dam water level — Kentucky
Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky was last measured at 703.70 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.8 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 3,083,990 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.8 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 23, 2026 — a 20-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 LRN/Wolf Creek Dam, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Wolf Creek Dam
Wolf Creek Dam is held back by Wolf Creek Dam (also recorded as Lake Cumberland) , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 258 ft high and running 5,736 ft along its crest , built across CUMBERLAND in Russell County , near BURKESVILLE . It was completed in 1951 , and is owned by USACE - Nashville District (a federal owner) .
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;other;recreation;water supply;flood risk reduction.
It is founded on rock, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 500 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.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 50,250 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 6,089,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 2,142,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 553,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY03010 , 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 Wolf Creek Dam compares nearby
3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green River Lake | KY | 675.24 ft | 46 km |
| Dale Hollow Lake | TN | 642.87 ft | 46 km |
| Laurel Dam | KY | — | 79 km |
| Barren River Lake | KY | 552.60 ft | 87 km |
| Laurel River | KY | 1,019.94 ft | 92 km |
| Cordell Hull Lake | TN | 504.18 ft | 96 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Wolf Creek Dam?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 703.70 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Wolf Creek Dam 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 LRN/Wolf Creek Dam, 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.