W. Kerr Scott Reservoir Water Level
USGS gauge 02111391 · at Dam near Wilkesboro, NC
Latest reading Oct 26, 12:30 PM · elevation
W. Kerr Scott Reservoir is at 30.49 ft today — higher than normal for late October. It has held steady since yesterday and is up 0.30 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
W. Kerr Scott Reservoir fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 12:50 PM ETLake 0.4 ft above normal for the date and steady, calm wind, pressure falling — excellent fall fishing day (8/10), best window 7:46 AM–8:46 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 71°F / low 41°FSunny
- WindCalm0–1 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 5
- PressureFalling-0.12 inHg 6 AM → 6 PM
- Level0.4 ft above normal for the dateLevel 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 an excellent fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
8/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:42 AM · Sunset 6:34 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:04 AM–2:04 AM
- Moon underfoot12:32 PM–2:32 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:46 AM–8:46 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:10 PM–7:10 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 8/10Excellent | Major 12:04 AM–2:04 AM · 12:32 PM–2:32 PM Minor 7:46 AM–8:46 AM · 6:10 PM–7:10 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph · pressure falling |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 1:00 AM–3:00 AM · 1:30 PM–3:30 PM Minor 9:01 AM–10:01 AM · 6:54 PM–7:54 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph · pressure steady |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:01 AM–4:01 AM · 2:32 PM–4:32 PM Minor 10:15 AM–11:15 AM · 7:47 PM–8:47 PM Calm wind 1–4 mph · pressure steady |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:05 AM–5:05 AM · 3:37 PM–5:37 PM Minor 11:25 AM–12:25 PM · 8:50 PM–9:50 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:09 AM–6:09 AM · 4:41 PM–6:41 PM Minor 12:25 PM–1:25 PM · 10:00 PM–11:00 PM Calm wind 0–1 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:11 AM–7:11 AM · 5:41 PM–7:41 PM Minor 1:15 PM–2:15 PM · 11:13 PM–12:13 AM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:09 AM–7:09 AM · 5:36 PM–7:36 PM Minor 12:55 PM–1:55 PM · 11:25 PM–12:25 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)
| 3 |
| Today | 8, rounded | 8/10 |
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 36.13, -81.23 (moon times from astronomical equations, W. Kerr Scott Reservoir local time).
Weather & wind at W. Kerr Scott Reservoir
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon71° / 41°SunnyWind E 1 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday73° / 43°Patchy Fog then SunnyWind N 2 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday68° / 46°Partly SunnyWind NE 3 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 36.134, -81.227 (grid RNK), issued Oct 26, 11:00 AM 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.
October 26 in history
36 years of level records- Today30.49 ft
- Same date last year29.90 ft2025
- Median30.04 ft
- Normal range29.24 ft – 30.33 ft25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 199132.23 ft2018
- Lowest since 199125.75 ft2008
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 30.49 | ±0.00 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 30.49 | ±0.00 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 30.49 | +0.01 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 30.48 | +0.04 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 30.44 | +0.05 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 30.39 | +0.08 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 30.31 | +0.07 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 30.24 | −0.56 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 30.80 | −0.80 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 31.60 | −1.33 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Lake Hickory24 mi · Lake932.60 ft−2.40 ft vs normal full pond
- Lookout Shoals Lake26 mi · Lake835.00 ft−3.10 ft vs normal full pond
- Lake Rhodhiss30 mi · Lake992.00 ft−3.10 ft vs normal full pond
- Lake Norman41 mi · Lake757.30 ft−2.70 ft vs normal full pond
- Lake James43 mi · Lake1,197.10 ft−2.90 ft vs normal full pond
- Watauga Lake52 mi · Lake1,948.80 ft−10.20 ft vs summer pool
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 02111391 — W. Kerr Scott Reservoir At Dam Nr Wilkesboro, Nc
- Location
- 36.1336, -81.2267 · North Carolina
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation above datum
- Daily statistics
- 1991–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 12:30 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 12:50 PM ET
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.