Lake Norman Water Level
Duke Energy · North Carolina
Latest reading Oct 26, 12:53 PM · elevation · daily report
Lake Norman is 2.7 ft below normal full pond today (757.31 ft vs 760.00 ft), 2.0 ft higher than a year ago. It has fallen 0.15 ft since yesterday and is down 0.83 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelNormal full pond (760.0 ft) is 2.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Lake Norman fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 6:49 PM ETLake 2.7 ft below normal full pond and steady, calm wind — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:43 AM–8:43 AM (moonset near sunrise).
Lake 2.7 ft below normal full pond and steady, calm wind, pressure steady — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 6:54 PM–7:54 PM (moonrise near sunset).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 74°F / low 48°FSunny
- WindCalm0–1 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 5
- Level2.7 ft below normal full pondLevel steady (−0.15 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 7:40 AM · Sunset 6:34 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:03 AM–2:03 AM
- Moon underfoot12:30 PM–2:30 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:43 AM–8:43 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:10 PM–7:10 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 12:03 AM–2:03 AM · 12:30 PM–2:30 PM Minor 7:43 AM–8:43 AM · 6:10 PM–7:10 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:59 AM–2:59 AM · 1:29 PM–3:29 PM Minor 8:58 AM–9:58 AM · 6:54 PM–7:54 PM Calm wind 1–5 mph · pressure steady |
| WedOct 28 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:00 AM–4:00 AM · 2:31 PM–4:31 PM Minor 10:12 AM–11:12 AM · 7:48 PM–8:48 PM Light wind 5–6 mph · pressure falling |
| ThuOct 29 | 6/10Good | Major 3:03 AM–5:03 AM · 3:36 PM–5:36 PM Minor 11:21 AM–12:21 PM · 8:51 PM–9:51 PM Calm wind 0–5 mph · pressure falling |
| FriOct 30 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:08 AM–6:08 AM · 4:40 PM–6:40 PM Minor 12:22 PM–1:22 PM · 10:01 PM–11:01 PM Calm wind 1–2 mph · pressure falling |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:10 AM–7:10 AM · 5:40 PM–7:40 PM Minor 1:12 PM–2:12 PM · 11:13 PM–12:13 AM Calm wind 1–5 mph · pressure steady |
| SunNov 1 | 6/10Good | Major 5:08 AM–7:08 AM · 5:35 PM–7:35 PM Minor 12:53 PM–1:53 PM · 11:24 PM–12:24 AM Calm wind 2–5 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 35.59, -80.93 (moon times from astronomical equations, Lake Norman local time).
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Waning gibbous · 97% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:41 AM · Sunset 6:33 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:59 AM–2:59 AM
- Moon underfoot1:29 PM–3:29 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset8:58 AM–9:58 AM
- Moonrise6:54 PM–7:54 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 27 | 6/10Good | Major 12:59 AM–2:59 AM · 1:29 PM–3:29 PM Minor 8:58 AM–9:58 AM · 6:54 PM–7:54 PM Calm wind 1–5 mph · pressure steady |
|---|---|---|
| WedOct 28 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:00 AM–4:00 AM · 2:31 PM–4:31 PM Minor 10:12 AM–11:12 AM · 7:48 PM–8:48 PM Light wind 5–6 mph · pressure falling |
| ThuOct 29 | 6/10Good | Major 3:03 AM–5:03 AM · 3:36 PM–5:36 PM Minor 11:21 AM–12:21 PM · 8:51 PM–9:51 PM Calm wind 0–5 mph · pressure falling |
| FriOct 30 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:08 AM–6:08 AM · 4:40 PM–6:40 PM Minor 12:22 PM–1:22 PM · 10:01 PM–11:01 PM Calm wind 1–2 mph · pressure falling |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:10 AM–7:10 AM · 5:40 PM–7:40 PM Minor 1:12 PM–2:12 PM · 11:13 PM–12:13 AM Calm wind 1–5 mph · pressure steady |
| SunNov 1 | 6/10Good | Major 5:08 AM–7:08 AM · 5:35 PM–7:35 PM Minor 12:53 PM–1:53 PM · 11:24 PM–12:24 AM Calm wind 2–5 mph · pressure falling |
| MonNov 2 | 4/10Fair | Major 6:01 AM–8:01 AM · 6:26 PM–8:26 PM Minor 1:27 PM–2:27 PM Calm wind 2–6 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)
| 2 |
| 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 35.59, -80.93 (moon times from astronomical equations, Lake Norman local time).
Weather & wind at Lake Norman
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- Tonight48°Mostly ClearWind NNW 1 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday74° / 50°SunnyWind NNE 1 to 5 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday70° / 54°Mostly SunnyWind NE 6 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 35.592, -80.933 (grid GSP), issued Oct 26, 6:28 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 Norman 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 weathe
Past 12 months
daily readings from Duke Energy- Today757.31 ft
- Same date last year755.33 ft+2.0 ft change
- 12-month high759.38 ftOct 13, 2026
- 12-month low754.29 ftMay 21, 2026
- Normal full pond760.00 ftDuke Energy
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 757.35 | −0.11 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 757.46 | −0.12 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 757.58 | −0.12 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 757.70 | −0.12 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 757.82 | −0.11 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 757.93 | −0.10 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 758.03 | −0.11 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 758.14 | −0.14 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 758.28 | −0.18 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 758.46 | −0.19 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Plan your trip to Lake Norman
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Nearby lakes & rivers
- Lookout Shoals Lake16 mi · Lake835.00 ft−3.10 ft vs normal full pond
- Mountain Island Lake16 mi · Lake644.10 ft−3.40 ft vs normal full pond
- Lake Hickory27 mi · Lake932.70 ft−2.30 ft vs normal full pond
- Lake Wylie32 mi · Lake567.20 ft−2.20 ft vs normal full pond
- Lake Rhodhiss36 mi · Lake992.00 ft−3.10 ft vs normal full pond
- W. Kerr Scott Reservoir41 mi · Lake · Dam near Wilkesboro30.48 ft+0.44 ft vs normal
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Source
- Duke Energy
- Location
- 35.5924, -80.9330 · North Carolina
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level (NGVD29)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 12:53 PM local time (daily report)
- History
- 1827 days on file since 2021-10-26
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 6:49 PM ET
- Normal full pond
- 760.00 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 (760.0 ft above sea level); today’s Duke reading is 97.31 ft, Duke’s target is 98.5 ft. Levels here are converted to feet above sea level. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.