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Lake Norman Water Level Today

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

Updated · Source: NWS gauge CWAN7 Provisional

Water level Provisional

756.76ft

msl · 8:00 PM EST, Nov 7, 2026

  • 3.24 ftbelow full pool (760.0 ft)
  • +0.01 ftin 24 h−0.09 ft in 7 days−0.65 ft in 30 days
756758760762756758760762756758760762
  • Full pool
  • 1 yr ago

Is Lake Norman full?

No. Lake Norman is 3.24 ft below full pool (760.0 ft). It is 0.71 ft higher than a year ago (756.05 ft on Nov 7, 2025).

Lake Norman level history

Full pool 760.0 ft
View data table
DateLevel (ft)% full
Nov 7, 2026756.76—
Nov 6, 2026756.74—
Nov 5, 2026756.73—
Nov 4, 2026756.72—
Nov 3, 2026756.76—
Nov 2, 2026756.81—
Nov 1, 2026756.85—
Oct 31, 2026756.92—
Oct 30, 2026756.97—
Oct 29, 2026757.02—
Oct 28, 2026757.10—
Oct 27, 2026757.20—
Oct 26, 2026757.32—
Oct 25, 2026757.46—
Oct 24, 2026757.58—
Oct 23, 2026757.70—
Oct 22, 2026757.82—
Oct 21, 2026757.94—
Oct 20, 2026758.03—
Oct 19, 2026758.15—
Oct 18, 2026758.28—
Oct 17, 2026758.46—
Oct 16, 2026758.65—
Oct 15, 2026758.91—
Oct 14, 2026759.21—
Oct 13, 2026759.38—
Oct 12, 2026759.20—
Oct 11, 2026758.02—
Oct 10, 2026757.66—
Oct 9, 2026757.47—
Oct 8, 2026757.41—
  • Lake Norman level
  • Full pool 760.0 ft
  • Above full pool
Source: NOAA NWPS · Daily averages since 2011

Lake Norman on Nov 7 in past years

Lake Norman water level on Nov 7 in past years
YearLevel (ft)vs todayvs full pool
2026today756.76—−3.24 ft
2025756.05−0.71−3.95 ft
2024756.90+0.14−3.10 ft
2023754.38−2.38−5.62 ft
2022755.59−1.17−4.41 ft
2021756.60−0.16−3.40 ft
2020757.65+0.89−2.35 ft
2019757.76+1.00−2.24 ft
2018757.16+0.40−2.84 ft
2017757.99+1.23−2.01 ft
2016754.66−2.10−5.34 ft

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

Lake facts

Full pool (conservation pool)
760.0 ft msl
Highest since 2011
759.97 ftJun 1, 2018
Lowest since 2011
737.46 ftAug 30, 2013
Data since
Jan 15, 2011
Dam
Cowans Ford Damcompleted 1963
River
Catawba River
Operated by
Duke Energy
Dam location
Mecklenburg County
Gauge location
35.4347, −80.9583

Dam, river and owner from the National Inventory of Dams (USACE). Records cover Jan 15, 2011 to today (daily averages).

Catawba-Wateree chain

UpstreamCatawba RiverDownstream
  1. Lake Norman756.76 ft −3.24 ft vs full poolYou are here
  2. Lake Wylie566.76 ft −2.64 ft vs full pool
  3. Lake Wateree223.43 ft −2.07 ft vs full pool

Weather on the lake

  1. Tonight44°FLowNE 0–5 mphPartly Cloudy
  2. Sunday65°FHighLow 44°FSW 0–6 mphSunny
  3. Monday69°FHighLow 46°FNW 3 mphSunny
  4. Tuesday70°FHighLow 48°FWNW 0–7 mphSunny
  5. Wednesday69°FHighLow 50°FSSE 2 mphSunny
  6. Thursday66°FHighLow 47°FSW 2–14 mphPartly Sunny then Chance Light Rain
  7. Friday56°FHighLow 38°FWNW 9–18 mphSlight Chance Light Rain

Forecast: National Weather Service for the dam area (35.43, −80.96). Wind speeds are forecasts, not measurements.

Nearby lakes

Quick answers

What is the full pool level of Lake Norman?
760.0 ft above mean sea level, the top of its conservation pool. Above it, water is released or flows over the spillway of Cowans Ford Dam.
How much does Lake Norman need to be full?
Lake Norman needs 3.24 ft more water to reach full pool (760.0 ft), as of Nov 7, 2026.
Is Lake Norman rising or falling?
It is falling: −0.09 ft in the last 7 days and +0.01 ft in 24 hours, to 756.76 ft on 8:00 PM EST, Nov 7, 2026 (NOAA National Water Prediction Service).
What is the highest level in our data?
Lake Norman reached 759.97 ft on Jun 1, 2018. The lowest was 737.46 ft on Aug 30, 2013 (NOAA NWPS data since 2011; older records are not in this data set).
How much has Lake Norman changed in the last year?
In the last 12 months it ranged from 754.29 ft (May 21, 2026) to 759.38 ft (Oct 13, 2026), a swing of 5.09 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 PM EST, Nov 7, 2026.

Where this data comes from

Lake level reported by Duke Energy through the National Weather Service (gauge CWAN7, 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.