Lake James Water Level
Duke Energy · North Carolina
Latest reading Oct 26, 12:54 PM · elevation · daily report
Lake James is 2.9 ft below normal full pond today (1,197.10 ft vs 1,200.00 ft), 1.2 ft higher than a year ago. It has held steady since yesterday and is down 0.90 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelNormal full pond (1,200.0 ft) is 2.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Lake James fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETLake 2.9 ft below normal full pond and steady, calm wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:47 AM–8:47 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 71°F / low 44°FSunny
- WindCalm0–0 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 5
- Level2.9 ft below normal full pondLevel steady (±0.00 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
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:44 AM · Sunset 6:37 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:07 AM–2:07 AM
- Moon underfoot12:34 PM–2:34 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:47 AM–8:47 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:13 PM–7:13 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 12:07 AM–2:07 AM · 12:34 PM–2:34 PM Minor 7:47 AM–8:47 AM · 6:13 PM–7:13 PM Calm wind 0–0 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 1:03 AM–3:03 AM · 1:32 PM–3:32 PM Minor 9:02 AM–10:02 AM · 6:57 PM–7:57 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph · pressure steady |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:03 AM–4:03 AM · 2:35 PM–4:35 PM Minor 10:16 AM–11:16 AM · 7:51 PM–8:51 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph · pressure steady |
| ThuOct 29 | 6/10Good | Major 3:07 AM–5:07 AM · 3:40 PM–5:40 PM Minor 11:26 AM–12:26 PM · 8:54 PM–9:54 PM Calm wind 0–0 mph · pressure falling |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:12 AM–6:12 AM · 4:43 PM–6:43 PM Minor 12:26 PM–1:26 PM · 10:04 PM–11:04 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure steady |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:14 AM–7:14 AM · 5:44 PM–7:44 PM Minor 1:16 PM–2:16 PM · 11:17 PM–12:17 AM Calm wind 0–2 mph · pressure steady |
| SunNov 1 | 6/10Good | Major 5:12 AM–7:12 AM · 5:39 PM–7:39 PM Minor 12:57 PM–1:57 PM · 11:28 PM–12:28 AM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure falling |
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 35.76, -81.84 (moon times from astronomical equations, Lake James local time).
Weather & wind at Lake James
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon71° / 44°SunnyWind 0 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday72° / 46°SunnyWind NE 2 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday69° / 48°Partly SunnyWind ENE 2 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 35.755, -81.841 (grid GSP), issued Oct 26, 2:23 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.
Operator notice
Under normal conditions, Duke Energy lowers Lake James during the winter to support reservoir operations. However, because the Catawba-Wateree basin remains in Stage 2 of the Low Inflow Protocol (LIP), normal seasonal drawdown targets are suspended under the basin's drought management program. As a result, Duke Energy does not expect to lower the lake to its typical winter elevation of 94.0 ft while Stage 2 LIP conditions remain in effect. Preserving reservoir storage helps protect water supplies throughout the basin during drought conditions. Lake levels will continue to vary based on weather
Past 12 months
daily readings from Duke Energy- Today1,197.10 ft
- Same date last year1,195.90 ft+1.2 ft change
- 12-month high1,201.00 ftOct 12, 2026
- 12-month low1,194.20 ftFeb 3, 2026
- Normal full pond1,200.00 ftDuke Energy
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,197.00 | −0.10 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,197.10 | −0.20 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,197.30 | −0.10 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,197.40 | −0.20 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,197.60 | −0.10 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,197.70 | −0.20 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,197.90 | −0.10 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,198.00 | −0.20 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,198.20 | −0.40 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 1,198.60 | −0.30 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Lake Rhodhiss17 mi · Lake992.00 ft−3.10 ft vs normal full pond
- Lake Hickory28 mi · Lake932.70 ft−2.30 ft vs normal full pond
- Lookout Shoals Lake41 mi · Lake835.00 ft−3.10 ft vs normal full pond
- Watauga Lake42 mi · Lake1,948.80 ft−10.20 ft vs summer pool
- French Broad River at Asheville43 mi · River805 cfs73% of normal
- W. Kerr Scott Reservoir43 mi · Lake · Dam near Wilkesboro30.48 ft+0.44 ft vs normal
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Source
- Duke Energy
- Location
- 35.7551, -81.8409 · North Carolina
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level (NGVD29)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 12:54 PM local time (daily report)
- History
- 1827 days on file since 2021-10-26
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Normal full pond
- 1,200.00 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 (1,200.0 ft above sea level); today’s Duke reading is 97.10 ft, Duke’s target is 98.5 ft. Levels here are converted to feet above sea level. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.