Bear Creek Lake Water Level Today
Duke Energy · North Carolina
Latest reading Nov 9, 11:58 PM · elevation · daily report
Bear Creek Lake is 3.1 ft below normal full pond today (2,556.90 ft vs 2,560.00 ft), 1.2 ft higher than a year ago. It has fallen 0.10 ft since yesterday and is up 2.40 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelNormal full pond (2,560.0 ft) is 3.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
About Bear Creek Lake
Over the past 12 months, Bear Creek Lake’s daily mean level ranged from 2,544.20 ft (Sep 7, 2026) to 2,559.10 ft (Mar 10, 2026), a swing of 14.9 ft. It was below normal full pond (2,560.00 ft) on 365 of the 365 days on file. The nearest lakes we track are Cedar Cliff Lake (2 mi northwest) and Tanasee Creek Lake (3 mi southeast). See all 43 North Carolina lakes on the North Carolina lake levels page.
Bear Creek Lake fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 10, 12:01 AM ETLake 3.1 ft below normal full pond and steady — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 8:00 AM–9:00 AM (moonrise near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Level3.1 ft below normal full pondLevel steady (−0.10 ft in 24 h)
Official North Carolina fishing info: NC Wildlife Resources Commission — Where to fish
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Waxing crescent · 2% lit · Full moon Tue, Nov 24 · Sunrise 7:02 AM · Sunset 5:29 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:21 PM–2:21 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise8:00 AM–9:00 AMSunrise
- Moonset5:38 PM–6:38 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 10 | 6/10Good | Major 12:21 PM–2:21 PM Minor 8:00 AM–9:00 AM · 5:38 PM–6:38 PM |
|---|---|---|
| WedNov 11 | 3/10Poor | Major 12:46 AM–2:46 AM · 1:12 PM–3:12 PM Minor 8:58 AM–9:58 AM · 6:25 PM–7:25 PM |
| ThuNov 12 | 2/10Poor | Major 1:38 AM–3:38 AM · 2:03 PM–4:03 PM Minor 9:51 AM–10:51 AM · 7:17 PM–8:17 PM |
| FriNov 13 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:29 AM–4:29 AM · 2:54 PM–4:54 PM Minor 10:38 AM–11:38 AM · 8:13 PM–9:13 PM |
| SatNov 14 | 3/10Poor | Major 3:19 AM–5:19 AM · 3:43 PM–5:43 PM Minor 11:19 AM–12:19 PM · 9:11 PM–10:11 PM |
| SunNov 15 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:06 AM–6:06 AM · 4:29 PM–6:29 PM Minor 11:53 AM–12:53 PM · 10:11 PM–11:11 PM |
| MonNov 16 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:52 AM–6:52 AM · 5:14 PM–7:14 PM Minor 12:24 PM–1:24 PM · 11:10 PM–12:10 AM |
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 × sunrise +1; Moonset × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 1.4 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 35.23, -83.05 (moon times from astronomical equations, Bear Creek Lake local time).
Operator notice
On October 28, 2026, the Tuckasegee River Basin entered Stage 1 of the Low Inflow Protocol (LIP) due to below average rainfall in the area for the past several months and very low stream flows. As these dry weather conditions continue, the community is asked to limit water use and to conserve energy which also saves water. To ensure the safety of boaters and protect property, some boat ramps may close temporarily due to lake levels. Any closures will be listed on the Duke Energy Lakeview app and Duke-Energy.com/Lakes. Updated lake levels are available any time at www.duke-energy.com/lakes, by
Past 12 months
daily readings from Duke Energy- Today2,556.90 ft
- Same date last year2,555.70 ft+1.2 ft change
- 12-month high2,559.10 ftMar 10, 2026
- 12-month low2,544.20 ftSep 7, 2026
- Normal full pond2,560.00 ftDuke Energy
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Nov 9 | 2,556.90 | −0.10 |
| Sun Nov 8 | 2,557.00 | +0.10 |
| Sat Nov 7 | 2,556.90 | +0.20 |
| Fri Nov 6 | 2,556.70 | +0.50 |
| Thu Nov 5 | 2,556.20 | +1.40 |
| Wed Nov 4 | 2,554.80 | +0.20 |
| Tue Nov 3 | 2,554.60 | +0.10 |
| Mon Nov 2 | 2,554.50 | +0.10 |
| Sun Nov 1 | 2,554.40 | ±0.00 |
| Sat Oct 31 | 2,554.40 | +0.10 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Plan your trip to Bear Creek Lake
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Nearby lakes & rivers
- Cedar Cliff Lake2 mi northwest · Lake2,327.40 ft−2.60 ft vs normal full pond
- Tanasee Creek Lake3 mi southeast · Lake3,071.90 ft−8.10 ft vs normal full pond
- Wolf Creek Lake3 mi east · Lake3,071.40 ft−8.60 ft vs normal full pond
- Tuckasegee Lake4 mi west · Lake2,278.25 ft−0.50 ft vs normal full pond
- Lake Glenville7 mi southwest · Lake3,483.35 ft−8.40 ft vs normal full pond
- Bad Creek Reservoir15 mi south · Lake2,277.30 ft−32.70 ft vs normal full pond
Headed to the coast? See North Carolina tide charts on TideCharts USA.
Guides
All guides →- Winter lake fishing during drawdownsHow a falling lake moves fish, where to look, and which lakes are down the most today.
- Why is the lake so low? Winter drawdowns explainedFlood-storage drawdowns, guide curves, utility winter levels and drought, with today’s lowest lakes.
- What does “full pool” mean?Conservation pool vs. flood pool vs. summer pool, with today’s numbers from Lanier to Lake Mead.
About this data
- Source
- Duke Energy
- Location
- 35.2347, -83.0541 · North Carolina
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level (NGVD29)
- Latest reading
- Nov 9, 11:58 PM local time (daily report)
- History
- 1826 days on file since 2021-11-10
- Page built
- Nov 10, 2026 12:01 AM ET
- Normal full pond
- 2,560.00 ft — Duke Energy (Normal full pond elevation published by Duke Energy)
Source: Duke Energy (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Duke Energy reports this lake on a local scale where 100.0 ft = normal full pond (2,560.0 ft above sea level); today’s Duke reading is 96.90 ft, Duke’s target is 94.7 ft. Levels here are converted to feet above sea level. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.