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Lake James Water Level Today

Daily level, distance to full pool and history for Lake James, on the Catawba and Linville rivers in North Carolina.

Updated · Source: NWS gauge BRWN7 Provisional

Water level Provisional

1,197.03ft

msl · 12:00 AM EST, Nov 9, 2026

  • 2.97 ftbelow full pool (1,200.0 ft)
  • 0.00 ftin 24 h+0.42 ft in 7 days−0.34 ft in 30 days
1,1961,1981,2001,2021,1961,1981,2001,2021,1961,1981,2001,202
  • Full pool
  • 1 yr ago

Is Lake James full?

No. Lake James is 2.97 ft below full pool (1,200.0 ft). It is 0.85 ft higher than a year ago (1,196.18 ft on Nov 9, 2025).

Lake James level history

Full pool 1,200.0 ft
View data table
DateLevel (ft)
Nov 9, 20261,197.03
Nov 8, 20261,197.05
Nov 7, 20261,197.05
Nov 6, 20261,197.00
Nov 5, 20261,196.85
Nov 4, 20261,196.60
Nov 3, 20261,196.60
Nov 2, 20261,196.62
Nov 1, 20261,196.66
Oct 31, 20261,196.75
Oct 30, 20261,196.81
Oct 29, 20261,196.83
Oct 28, 20261,196.89
Oct 27, 20261,196.97
Oct 26, 20261,197.02
Oct 25, 20261,197.12
Oct 24, 20261,197.29
Oct 23, 20261,197.45
Oct 22, 20261,197.62
Oct 21, 20261,197.72
Oct 20, 20261,197.87
Oct 19, 20261,198.01
Oct 18, 20261,198.25
Oct 17, 20261,198.60
Oct 16, 20261,198.93
Oct 15, 20261,199.27
Oct 14, 20261,199.73
Oct 13, 20261,200.34
Oct 12, 20261,200.87
Oct 11, 20261,199.69
Oct 10, 20261,197.37
  • Lake James level
  • Full pool 1,200.0 ft
  • Above full pool
Source: NOAA NWPS · Daily averages since 2010

Lake James on Nov 9 in past years

Lake James water level on Nov 9 in past years
YearLevel (ft)vs todayvs full pool
2026today1,197.03—−2.97 ft
20251,196.18−0.85−3.82 ft
20241,200.28+3.25+0.28 ft
20231,194.82−2.21−5.18 ft
20221,195.57−1.46−4.43 ft
20211,196.32−0.71−3.68 ft
20201,195.79−1.24−4.21 ft
20191,196.17−0.86−3.83 ft
20181,198.48+1.45−1.52 ft
20171,198.11+1.08−1.89 ft
20161,194.37−2.66−5.63 ft

Today’s level is the highest for this date since 2024.

Lake facts

Full pool (conservation pool)
1,200.0 ft msl
Highest since 2010
1,205.45 ftSep 27, 2024
Lowest since 2010
1,177.15 ftAug 30, 2013
Data since
Dec 8, 2010
Dam
Bridgewater (Catawba) Damcompleted 1919
River
Catawba and Linville rivers
Operated by
Duke Energy
Dam location
Burke County
Gauge location
35.7427, −81.8362

Dam, river and owner from the National Inventory of Dams (USACE). Records cover Dec 8, 2010 to today (daily averages).

Catawba-Wateree chain

UpstreamCatawba RiverDownstream
  1. Lake James1,197.03 ft −2.97 ft vs full poolYou are here
  2. Lake Hickory933.45 ft −1.55 ft vs full pool
  3. Lake Norman756.75 ft −3.25 ft vs full pool
  4. Lake Wylie566.81 ft −2.59 ft vs full pool
  5. Lake Wateree223.40 ft −2.10 ft vs full pool

Only the lakes we track are shown; Lake Rhodhiss, Lookout Shoals, Mountain Island, Fishing Creek, Great Falls and Cedar Creek also lie on the river.

Weather on the lake

  1. Tonight36°FLowW 5 mphClear then Patchy Frost
  2. Monday69°FHighLow 35°FW 1–5 mphPatchy Frost then Sunny
  3. Tuesday71°FHighLow 40°FSSW 2 mphPatchy Frost then Sunny
  4. Wednesday69°FHighLow 42°FNW 1 mphSunny
  5. Thursday63°FHighLow 36°FWNW 0–8 mphChance Light Rain
  6. Friday50°FHighLow 29°FNW 6–13 mphMostly Sunny
  7. Saturday50°FHighLow 28°FNW 5–9 mphSunny

Forecast: National Weather Service for the dam area (35.74, −81.84). Wind speeds are forecasts, not measurements.

Nearby lakes

Quick answers

What is the full pool level of Lake James?
1,200.0 ft above mean sea level, the top of its conservation pool. Above it, water is released or flows over the spillway of Bridgewater (Catawba) Dam.
How much does Lake James need to be full?
Lake James needs 2.97 ft more water to reach full pool (1,200.0 ft), as of Nov 9, 2026.
Is Lake James rising or falling?
It is rising: +0.42 ft in the last 7 days and 0.00 ft in 24 hours, to 1,197.03 ft on 12:00 AM EST, Nov 9, 2026 (NOAA National Water Prediction Service).
When was Lake James last full?
It was last at or above full pool (1,200.0 ft) on Oct 13, 2026. On Nov 9, 2026 it was 2.97 ft below.
What is the highest level in our data?
Lake James reached 1,205.45 ft on Sep 27, 2024. The lowest was 1,177.15 ft on Aug 30, 2013 (NOAA NWPS data since 2010; older records are not in this data set).
How much has Lake James changed in the last year?
In the last 12 months it ranged from 1,194.20 ft (Feb 3, 2026) to 1,200.87 ft (Oct 12, 2026), a swing of 6.67 ft.
How often is this page updated?
This page is updated several times a day with the latest reading from NOAA National Water Prediction Service. The last reading is from 12:00 AM EST, Nov 9, 2026.

Where this data comes from

Lake level reported by Duke Energy through the National Weather Service (gauge BRWN7, water.noaa.gov); history from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive of the same reports. Recent readings are provisional. Weather from the National Weather Service. Dam details from the National Inventory of Dams.

Lake Levels Daily is an independent site, not affiliated with TWDB, LCRA, USACE, USGS, NOAA, TVA or any lake operator. Check official sources before making safety decisions.