Live water level

Rough River Lake Level Today

Rough River Lake level right now, from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Weather Service gauges: elevation, 24-hour change, distance from summer and winter pool, dam release and the NWS pool forecast.

Updated October 28, 2026 Live federal water data

An angler in a small boat at sunset on Rough River Lake near Laurel Branch
Photo: Michal McAbee, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · cropped

Rough River Lake level now

Rough River Lake elevation484.84 ft above sea leveldown 0.46 ft in the last 24 hoursAs of Oct 28, 2026, 4:00 PM ET · Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CWMS Data API

10.16 ft below summer pool (495 ft) · 14.84 ft above winter pool (470 ft)

Provisional real-time data from federal agencies; it can change after review. Checked Oct 28, 2026, 5:44 PM ET.

Heads up: we're an independent guide. Some links may earn us a referral fee, which never changes what you pay or what we recommend. Conditions change fast on the water, so confirm closures and levels with the official source. How we make money.

How to read the Rough River Lake level

  • Elevation is the lake surface in feet above sea level (NGVD29), not the depth.
  • Summer pool, 495 ft, is the boating-season target.
  • Winter pool, 470 ft, is 25 feet lower. When the lake is near winter pool, many subdivision ramps and the upper creek arms get too shallow.
  • Falling steadily after summer is normal: the Corps draws the lake down toward winter pool. Rising well above summer pool means the lake is holding floodwater.
  • Release (outflow) is the flow out of the dam in cubic feet per second.

See the Rough River Lake guide for marinas, ramps and the state resort park.

Other lakes

Nolin · Taylorsville · Ohio River at Louisville · All levels

FAQ

What is normal pool for Rough River Lake?
Summer pool is 495 ft above sea level and winter pool is 470 ft, per the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That is a 25-foot seasonal swing.
Which Rough River ramps can I use at winter pool?
The state park marina ramp is listed by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife as open year-round. A local marina guide reports that the State Park ramp and the newer third lane at Axtel are the two launches still usable at winter pool. Call ahead in winter.
Is there a Rough River Lake water temperature?
USGS measures water temperature in the tailwater below Rough River Dam, which is not the lake surface. We have not found a free official lake-surface temperature, so we don't show one.
Where does this data come from?
The elevation comes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CWMS Data API (the USGS-fed lake gauge, with the Corps' hourly reading as a backup). The forecast comes from the National Weather Service (gauge RRLK2). Real-time data is provisional.

Sources

Checked October 28, 2026. Agencies first; businesses are linked so you can confirm hours and prices with them directly.

  1. Rough River Lake water data (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
  2. CWMS Data API (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
  3. Rough River at Rough River Lake (RRLK2) (NOAA National Weather Service)
  4. USGS 03318005 Rough River Lake (U.S. Geological Survey)
  5. Rough River Lake access sites (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources)
  6. Rough River State Park Marina guide (Today at Rough River)

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