Claytor Lake Water Level
Claytor Lake is at 1,845.62 ft today (Oct 6), 0.38 ft below its 1,846 ft full pool.
Virginia · New River
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Water level history
About Claytor Lake
Claytor Lake is a reservoir on the New River in Virginia, operated by Appalachian Power. Its full summer pool sits at 1846 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from Appalachian Power's (AEP) hydro data and reflect the latest reported level.
Understanding Claytor Lake's water level
Claytor Lake is the New River held back by a single concrete gravity dam in Pulaski County, built by Appalachian Power between 1937 and 1939 and named for W. Graham Claytor, the company vice president who oversaw the work. The New River runs north from its North Carolina headwaters, so the lake stretches northeast for about 21 miles from Allisonia down to the dam near Radford. At the normal full pond of 1,846 feet it covers roughly 4,363 acres by the state's count (Appalachian lists 4,472), holds about 225,000 acre-feet, and reaches 115 feet at its deepest with a mean depth near 49 feet. The water it flooded included Dunkard's Bottom, a colonial settlement from 1745; before the lake rose, the Daughters of the American Revolution took down the chimney of William Christian's home there, and it now stands at Claytor Lake State Park. The dam's four Francis turbines total 75 megawatts and can pass about 10,000 cubic feet per second. Pulaski County also draws its drinking water from the lake.
The level barely moves by design. Under the Water Management Plan approved with the project's current FERC license (Project No. 739, issued in December 2011 for thirty years), Appalachian runs Claytor in two modes. From April through November the plant releases a steady, levelized flow and the lake stays between 1,845 and 1,846 feet; from mid April to mid June that band also protects shallow spawning beds, under an agreement with state fisheries managers. From December through March the plant switches to peaking, releasing water in morning and evening demand periods, and the lake may drop to 1,844 feet during the week before refilling over the weekend. Minimum releases below the dam are 750 cubic feet per second (or inflow, if lower) most of the year, 1,000 in December and January, and 1,200 in February and March. A reading of 1,844.5 on a January Thursday is normal operation, not drought.
Claytor is not a flood control reservoir, but it is managed around big storms. When inflow is forecast to exceed what the turbines can pass, Appalachian may pull the lake as low as 1,841 feet, which frees about 21,000 acre-feet to absorb the rise and spread the release over a longer period. Ahead of Tropical Storm Debby in August 2024 the lake was lowered to 1,844 feet. Seven weeks later Helene produced the second largest peak on record at the Allisonia gauge above the lake: 155,000 cubic feet per second at Allisonia on 27 September 2024, behind only the August 1940 flood's 185,000. Appalachian let the lake run above 1,847 feet and told residents below the 1,850 foot contour to secure their belongings. The flood left more than 20 acres of trees, docks, boats and hundreds of propane tanks floating on the lake, and public ramps stayed closed into October while crews cleared it.
Claytor Lake — frequently asked
What is Claytor Lake's full pool?
1,846.0 feet above sea level (NGVD), measured at the dam. The license's normal operating band is narrow: 1,845 to 1,846 feet from April through November and 1,844 to 1,846 feet from December through March. The project boundary generally follows the 1,850 foot contour, so shoreline property owners are told the water can rise several feet above full pond in high inflow and fall to 1,841 feet at some point in a normal year.
Why is Claytor Lake low right now?
The most common reason in winter is peaking. From December through March Appalachian draws the lake down toward 1,844 feet over the workweek to generate during high demand and refills it over the weekend. A drop to 1,841 feet usually means a big rain is forecast and the lake is being lowered to make room for it, or a scheduled maintenance drawdown is under way. Low summer inflow alone rarely takes the lake below 1,845 feet.
Does Claytor Lake have a winter drawdown?
Not every year. Maintenance drawdowns of five feet, to 1,841 feet at a rate of about one foot per day, need a plan filed with FERC three months ahead and 45 days of notice to shoreline owners. Recent ones were held in 2017, 2019 and November 2021, when the lake sat at 1,841 feet for nine days. A 2014 drawdown was canceled at Pulaski County's request because of silt at the county's water intake, and volunteers now use these drawdowns to rescue stranded mussels.
What was the worst flood at Claytor Lake?
The August 1940 flood, the summer after the dam went into service, remains the largest: 185,000 cubic feet per second on the New River at Allisonia, the inflow gauge at the head of the lake, and 218,000 below the dam at Radford. Hurricane Helene came next, with 155,000 cfs at Allisonia on 27 September 2024 and 167,000 at Radford the following day. Appalachian does not publish an official record lake elevation, so these river gauges are the best measure of flood size.
When is the Claytor Lake drawdown refilled?
Quickly, because the lake is small relative to the New River's flow. Weekday peaking drawdowns in winter are normally made up over the weekend. In the 2021 maintenance drawdown the lake was allowed to start refilling on a Sunday night and targeted to be back at normal elevation within five days, depending on inflow. When the lake is lowered to 1,841 feet ahead of a storm, the incoming flood water refills it as part of the plan.
What is the fishing like at Claytor Lake?
Virginia DWR calls Claytor the top destination for hybrid striped bass in the state; the state record hybrid, 15 pounds 13 ounces, came from here in March 2016, and so did the 4 pound 12 ounce spotted bass record. About two thirds of anglers fish for black bass. Spotted and Alabama bass turn up throughout the lake and at higher catch rates than largemouth in DWR's spring surveys. Stripers and hybrids suffer from a summer squeeze on cool, oxygenated water, which caused a major kill in late July 2025, and striper stocking is being cut back in 2026.
Where is Claytor Lake State Park?
Near Dublin in Pulaski County. Local residents raised money in 1946 to buy 437 acres from Appalachian Power, and the park opened in 1951; it now covers 472 acres with about four miles of lake frontage. It has a full service marina with fuel and slips, boat ramps, a guarded swimming beach open Memorial Day through Labor Day, cabins, lodges and 103 campsites. The Howe House, built from 1876 to 1879, serves as the visitor center.
Flow released below Claytor Lake
This gauge reads the water leaving the dam, which is the number to check for fishing, paddling and downstream conditions. Live flow is tracked on riverlvl.com.
Other lakes near Claytor Lake
- Lake GastonVA/NC
- South Holston LakeTN/VA
- John W. Flannagan ReservoirVA
- Smith Mountain LakeVA
- Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)VA/NC
- Philpott LakeVA
See current levels for all 7 Virginia lakes and reservoirs →
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