Buckhorn Lake Water Level
USGS gauge 03280800 · at Buckhorn, KY · USACE
Latest reading Oct 26, 6:15 PM · elevation
Buckhorn Lake is right at full pool today (782.04 ft). It is 62% full. It has fallen 0.01 ft since yesterday and is down 0.08 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelReading
Buckhorn Lake fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 6:49 PM ETLake at full pool and steady, calm wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:58 AM–8:58 AM (moonset near sunrise).
Lake at full pool and steady, calm wind — fair fall fishing day (5/10), best window 6:59 PM–7:59 PM (moonrise near sunset).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 75°F / low 44°FAreas Of Fog then Mostly Sunny
- WindCalm0–1 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 6
- Levelat full poolLevel steady (−0.01 ft in 24 h)
Main species
- Bluegill
- Catfish
- Crappie
- Largemouth bass
- Muskellunge
Source: Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources — species rated in the 2026 Fishing Forecast (lake and tailwater), as published on the KDFWR 2026 Fishing Forecast.
Official Kentucky fishing report: Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife — Weekly fishing report
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:52 AM · Sunset 6:42 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:14 AM–2:14 AM
- Moon underfoot12:41 PM–2:41 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:58 AM–8:58 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:16 PM–7:16 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 12:14 AM–2:14 AM · 12:41 PM–2:41 PM Minor 7:58 AM–8:58 AM · 6:16 PM–7:16 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 4/10Fair | Major 1:09 AM–3:09 AM · 1:39 PM–3:39 PM Minor 9:14 AM–10:14 AM · 6:59 PM–7:59 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 2/10Poor | Major 2:10 AM–4:10 AM · 2:42 PM–4:42 PM Minor 10:29 AM–11:29 AM · 7:52 PM–8:52 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:14 AM–5:14 AM · 3:47 PM–5:47 PM Minor 11:38 AM–12:38 PM · 8:55 PM–9:55 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:19 AM–6:19 AM · 4:50 PM–6:50 PM Minor 12:38 PM–1:38 PM · 10:06 PM–11:06 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:21 AM–7:21 AM · 5:50 PM–7:50 PM Minor 1:28 PM–2:28 PM · 11:19 PM–12:19 AM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:19 AM–7:19 AM · 5:46 PM–7:46 PM Minor 1:07 PM–2:07 PM · 11:31 PM–12:31 AM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 6, rounded | 6/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 37.34, -83.47 (moon times from astronomical equations, Buckhorn Lake local time).
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
5/10
Waning gibbous · 97% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:53 AM · Sunset 6:41 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead1:09 AM–3:09 AM
- Moon underfoot1:39 PM–3:39 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset9:14 AM–10:14 AM
- Moonrise6:59 PM–7:59 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 1:09 AM–3:09 AM · 1:39 PM–3:39 PM Minor 9:14 AM–10:14 AM · 6:59 PM–7:59 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
|---|---|---|
| WedOct 28 | 2/10Poor | Major 2:10 AM–4:10 AM · 2:42 PM–4:42 PM Minor 10:29 AM–11:29 AM · 7:52 PM–8:52 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:14 AM–5:14 AM · 3:47 PM–5:47 PM Minor 11:38 AM–12:38 PM · 8:55 PM–9:55 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:19 AM–6:19 AM · 4:50 PM–6:50 PM Minor 12:38 PM–1:38 PM · 10:06 PM–11:06 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:21 AM–7:21 AM · 5:50 PM–7:50 PM Minor 1:28 PM–2:28 PM · 11:19 PM–12:19 AM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:19 AM–7:19 AM · 5:46 PM–7:46 PM Minor 1:07 PM–2:07 PM · 11:31 PM–12:31 AM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
| MonNov 2 | 3/10Poor | Major 6:11 AM–8:11 AM · 6:36 PM–8:36 PM Minor 1:40 PM–2:40 PM Calm wind 1–2 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonrise × sunset +1) | 1 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 1.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 5, rounded | 5/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 37.34, -83.47 (moon times from astronomical equations, Buckhorn Lake local time).
Weather & wind at Buckhorn Lake
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- Tonight44°Partly Cloudy then Patchy FogWind 0 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday75° / 50°Areas Of Fog then Mostly SunnyWind NE 1 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday74° / 47°Partly SunnyWind SSW 1 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 37.340, -83.470 (grid JKL), issued Oct 26, 2:43 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 782.05 | −0.01 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 782.05 | ±0.00 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 782.06 | ±0.00 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 782.06 | ±0.00 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 782.06 | ±0.00 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 782.06 | −0.02 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 782.08 | −0.06 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 782.15 | −0.07 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
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Nearby lakes & rivers
- Carr Creek Lake25 mi · Lake · Sassafras1,025.38 ft−2.62 ft vs full pool
- Paintsville Lake48 mi · Lake708.73 ft−0.27 ft vs normal pool
- North Fork of Pound Lake49 mi · Lake1,609.72 ft+2.69 ft vs normal pool
- Dewey Lake49 mi · Lake650.48 ft+2.61 ft vs normal pool
- Laurel River Lake51 mi · Lake999.85 ft−18.65 ft vs full pool
- Cave Run Lake54 mi · Lake · Farmers729.91 ft−0.09 ft vs full pool
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 03280800 — Buckhorn Lake At Buckhorn, Ky
- Location
- 37.3401, -83.4702 · Kentucky
- Measures
- Lake/reservoir water-surface elevation above NGVD 1929
- Daily statistics
- Not available (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 6:15 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 6:49 PM ET
- Full pool
- 782.00 ft — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Top of Conservation)
- Storage
- 19,975 of 32,055 acre-ft (Top of Conservation)
- Also from
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge BUCK2 — National Water Prediction Service
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.