Norfork Lake Water Level
Water level now
Below normal552.31ft
−1.44 ft vs normal pool (553.75) · −0.78 ft vs typical for Oct 18
95.4% of conservation storage
Reading taken Oct 18, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District (provisional data)
Level in feet above sea level (NGVD 29)
Daily levelNormal poolTypical for the date (2016 to last year)
Provisional data from USACE, as reported at Oct 18, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT. Readings can be delayed or wrong. Not for navigation, flood or safety decisions; follow local authorities and posted signs.
About Norfork Lake
Norfork Lake is 1.44 ft below normal pool, as of Oct 18, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT. The level on this page is reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District near Norfork, and compared with normal pool (the top of the conservation pool, 553.75 ft above sea level (NGVD 29)) and with the typical level for this date.
Since January 2016 the daily level has ranged from 545.12 ft (Mar 24, 2017) to 579.79 ft (Jun 10, 2020).
Over those years the lake has usually been highest in June and lowest in November; in the past 365 days it was at or above normal pool on 30% of days.
Norfork Lake by the numbers
| Normal pool (top of conservation) | 553.75 |
|---|---|
| Top of flood pool | 580.00 |
| Highest since 2016 | 579.79 (Jun 10, 2020) |
| Lowest since 2016 | 545.12 (Mar 24, 2017) |
| Typical for Oct 18 | 553.09 |
| Oct 18, 2025 | 551.60 |
| Conservation storage now | 1,187,040 acre-ft |
Typical level by month
| Month | Median | vs normal | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 553.67 | −0.08 ft | 546.30 | 571.52 |
| February | 553.95 | +0.20 ft | 545.36 | 564.02 |
| March | 553.95 | +0.20 ft | 545.12 | 570.24 |
| April | 557.61 | +3.86 ft | 548.44 | 576.02 |
| May | 567.23 | +13.48 ft | 553.27 | 579.75 |
| June | 572.22 | +18.47 ft | 553.86 | 579.79 |
| July | 567.14 | +13.39 ft | 552.66 | 576.62 |
| August | 559.42 | +5.67 ft | 552.23 | 570.39 |
| September | 554.92 | +1.17 ft | 551.69 | 564.45 |
| October | 553.24 | −0.51 ft | 550.80 | 558.70 |
| November | 553.11 | −0.64 ft | 550.23 | 568.52 |
| December | 553.30 | −0.45 ft | 548.95 | 570.06 |
Highs and lows by year
| Year | High | Date | Low | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | 559.73 | Jun 30 | 545.42 | Feb 13 |
| 2025 | 579.59 | May 28 | 549.27 | Dec 17 |
| 2024 | 568.52 | Nov 12 | 551.42 | Nov 2 |
| 2023 | 565.42 | Apr 3 | 552.98 | Feb 3 |
| 2022 | 573.02 | Jun 7 | 551.86 | Nov 26 |
| 2021 | 573.15 | Jun 21 | 551.35 | Dec 17 |
| 2020 | 579.79 | Jun 10 | 553.20 | Dec 7 |
| 2019 | 574.14 | Jul 1 | 553.74 | Dec 21 |
| 2018 | 565.68 | May 12 | 545.36 | Feb 13 |
| 2017 | 579.65 | May 5 | 545.12 | Mar 24 |
| 2016 | 571.52 | Jan 10 | 549.89 | Dec 31 |
Weather at the dam, next 3 days
- Today: Sunny, wind 0 to 5 mph ESE68°F
- Tonight: Mostly Clear, wind 0 mph 41°F
- Monday: Sunny, wind 0 to 5 mph ESE73°F
- Monday Night: Mostly Clear, wind 0 mph 44°F
- Tuesday: Sunny, wind 0 mph 75°F
- Tuesday Night: Mostly Clear, wind 0 mph 46°F
Forecast: National Weather Service, issued Oct 18, 2026, 7:35 AM CDT. Conditions on the water can change quickly.
Questions about Norfork Lake
- What is the normal pool level of Norfork Lake?
- 553.75 ft above sea level (NGVD 29). This is the top of the conservation pool as listed by the Corps of Engineers; water above it, up to the top of the flood pool at 580.00 ft, is flood storage that the Corps releases over time.
- Is Norfork Lake full right now?
- As of Oct 18, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT, the lake was 1.44 ft below normal pool, at 95.4% of conservation storage.
- What is the lowest level Norfork Lake has reached recently?
- In our daily record since January 2016, the lowest was 545.12 ft on Mar 24, 2017, 8.63 ft below normal pool.
- How often is this page updated?
- We check the Corps of Engineers every hour and show each reading with its own time. If no new reading arrives for 6 hours, the page says so instead of showing an old value as current. See how we calculate.