Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) Water Level
Virginia & North Carolina · Roanoke River
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Water level history
About Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) is a reservoir on the Roanoke River in Virginia & North Carolina, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It's the largest reservoir in Virginia. Its full summer pool sits at 300 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from USGS gauge 02079490 and update every 15 to 60 minutes.
Understanding Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)'s water level
"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers targets when Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) is completely filled — 300 feet above sea level. Above that line the Corps deliberately keeps empty "flood storage" to absorb heavy rain, so the lake rarely sits far above 300 ft for long. A reading a few feet under full is usually just the normal operating band rather than a sign of drought.
In a normal year Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) sits highest through the summer recreation season and lower over winter, when the Corps makes room for storms. Extended dry spells in late summer and fall are what usually pull the lake noticeably below full pool.
The all-time high and low above come from the full USGS period of record for this gauge — often decades of data — so they're a good yardstick for how unusual today's level really is. Use the chart's "Compare 5 years" view to see whether the current reading is running ahead of or behind a typical year.
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)'s current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from USGS gauge 02079490.
What is full pool for Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)?
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)'s full summer pool is 300 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)?
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) is operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Roanoke River.
Where is Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) located?
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) is in Virginia & North Carolina, on the Roanoke River.
Why is Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake) low right now?
Reservoir levels fall during dry spells and seasonal drawdown — when U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lowers the pool for flood storage, power, or water supply — and recover after rain and snowmelt. The history chart above shows the recent trend.
What are the record high and low levels for Kerr Lake (Buggs Island Lake)?
The all-time high and low elevations, with the years they occurred, are shown in the stats on this page and come from the full USGS period of record.
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