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Lake Nantahala Water Level Today

Also known as Nantahala Lake

Daily level, distance to full pool and history for Lake Nantahala, on the Nantahala River in North Carolina.

Updated · Source: NWS gauge NANN7 Provisional

Water level Provisional

2,992.82ft

msl · 8:00 AM EST, Nov 9, 2026

  • 19.38 ftbelow full pool (3,012.2 ft)
  • +0.23 ftin 24 h+2.43 ft in 7 days−6.35 ft in 30 days
2,9902,9953,0003,0053,0103,0153,0202,9902,9953,0003,0053,0103,0153,0202,9902,9953,0003,0053,0103,0153,020
  • Full pool
  • 1 yr ago

Is Lake Nantahala full?

No. Lake Nantahala is 19.38 ft below full pool (3,012.2 ft). It is 0.18 ft lower than a year ago (2,993.00 ft on Nov 9, 2025).

Lake Nantahala level history

Full pool 3,012.2 ft
View data table
DateLevel (ft)
Nov 9, 20262,992.82
Nov 8, 20262,992.62
Nov 7, 20262,992.37
Nov 6, 20262,992.07
Nov 5, 20262,991.41
Nov 4, 20262,990.50
Nov 3, 20262,990.36
Nov 2, 20262,990.40
Nov 1, 20262,990.76
Oct 31, 20262,991.36
Oct 30, 20262,991.90
Oct 29, 20262,992.19
Oct 28, 20262,992.46
Oct 27, 20262,992.76
Oct 26, 20262,992.99
Oct 25, 20262,993.28
Oct 24, 20262,993.61
Oct 23, 20262,993.95
Oct 22, 20262,994.28
Oct 21, 20262,994.61
Oct 20, 20262,994.94
Oct 19, 20262,995.27
Oct 18, 20262,995.60
Oct 17, 20262,995.93
Oct 16, 20262,996.26
Oct 15, 20262,996.65
Oct 14, 20262,997.19
Oct 13, 20262,997.84
Oct 12, 20262,998.33
Oct 11, 20262,998.84
Oct 10, 20262,999.17
  • Lake Nantahala level
  • Full pool 3,012.2 ft
  • Above full pool
Source: NOAA NWPS · Daily averages since 2010

Lake Nantahala on Nov 9 in past years

Lake Nantahala water level on Nov 9 in past years
YearLevel (ft)vs todayvs full pool
2026today2,992.82—−19.38 ft
20252,993.00+0.18−19.20 ft
20242,994.33+1.51−17.87 ft
20232,994.25+1.43−17.95 ft
20222,994.46+1.64−17.74 ft
20212,993.51+0.69−18.69 ft
20202,993.29+0.47−18.91 ft
20192,994.77+1.95−17.43 ft
20182,996.02+3.20−16.18 ft
20172,992.31−0.51−19.89 ft
20162,988.88−3.94−23.32 ft

Today’s level is the lowest for this date since 2017.

Lake facts

Full pool (conservation pool)
3,012.2 ft msl
Highest since 2010
3,011.78 ftApr 23, 2015
Lowest since 2010
2,982.05 ftOct 31, 2012
Data since
Dec 8, 2010
Dam
Nantahala Damcompleted 1942
River
Nantahala River
Operated by
Duke Energy
Dam location
Macon County
Gauge location
35.1997, −83.6531

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

Lake Nantahala map and depth

  • Dam and level gauge
Shoreline © OpenStreetMap contributors · Open the full map
Surface area
about 1,390 acresmeasured on the OpenStreetMap outline
Height of Nantahala Dam
250 ftNational Inventory of Dams

The outline shows the mapped shoreline, not today’s water line: when the lake is low, the water stands back from it.

Weather on the lake

  1. Today64°FHighLow 37°FN 3 mphSunny
  2. Tonight37°FLowCalmMostly Clear
  3. Tuesday65°FHighLow 39°FNW 1 mphSunny
  4. Wednesday63°FHighLow 42°FNW 2 mphMostly Sunny
  5. Thursday52°FHighLow 30°FW 3–8 mphLight Rain Likely
  6. Friday38°FHighLow 25°FNW 8–13 mphSlight Chance Light Snow
  7. Saturday41°FHighLow 24°FNW 5–9 mphMostly Sunny

Forecast: National Weather Service for the dam area (35.20, −83.65). Wind speeds are forecasts, not measurements.

Nearby lakes

Quick answers

What is the full pool level of Lake Nantahala?
3,012.2 ft above mean sea level, the top of its conservation pool. Above it, water is released or flows over the spillway of Nantahala Dam.
How much does Lake Nantahala need to be full?
Lake Nantahala needs 19.38 ft more water to reach full pool (3,012.2 ft), as of Nov 9, 2026.
Is Lake Nantahala rising or falling?
It is rising: +2.43 ft in the last 7 days and +0.23 ft in 24 hours, to 2,992.82 ft on 8:00 AM EST, Nov 9, 2026 (NOAA National Water Prediction Service).
What is the highest level in our data?
Lake Nantahala reached 3,011.78 ft on Apr 23, 2015. The lowest was 2,982.05 ft on Oct 31, 2012 (NOAA NWPS data since 2010; older records are not in this data set).
How much has Lake Nantahala changed in the last year?
In the last 12 months it ranged from 2,990.36 ft (Nov 3, 2026) to 3,010.55 ft (Jan 13, 2026), a swing of 20.19 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 8:00 AM EST, Nov 9, 2026.

Where this data comes from

Lake level reported by Duke Energy through the National Weather Service (gauge NANN7, 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.