Lake Johnson water level — North Carolina
Lake Johnson in North Carolina was last measured at 343.27 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 4:15 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
- Not reported
- 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 02087339, 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 7 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lake Johnson
Lake Johnson is held back by Lake Johnson Dam , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 40 ft high and running 779 ft along its crest , built across Walnut Creek in Wake County , near Raleigh . It was completed in 1914 and modified in 2006 , and is owned by City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department (a local government owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is water supply — delivering water to its customers comes first, so drawdown here follows demand as much as it follows rainfall .
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 11/07/2024.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 148 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 3,090 acre-ft against a normal storage of 2,570 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 2,070 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by NCDEQ, DEMLR, Dam Safety Program.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record NC00862 , filed by North Carolina — 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 Lake Johnson compares nearby
None of the 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are steady right now — this lake's movement looks specific to its own operation rather than shared regional conditions.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Lake | NC | 300.04 ft | 8 km |
| Lake Crabtree | NC | 275.35 ft | 11 km |
| Shelley Lake at Shelley Lake Park at Raleigh | NC | 251.09 ft | 11 km |
| Bond Lake | NC | 341.20 ft | 11 km |
| Coles Branch Reservoir | NC | 311.35 ft | 12 km |
| Lake Lynn | NC | 333.51 ft | 12 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Johnson?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 4:15 AM (UTC-04:00), the pool elevation was 343.27 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Johnson 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 02087339, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in North Carolina
See every lake tracked in North Carolina, or read the methodology behind these figures.