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KY · USACE Louisville · Cave Run Dam

Cave Run Lake

The Muskie Capital of the South, tucked into Daniel Boone National Forest near Morehead.

LevelsRentalsFishingRamps & marinasThings to doLodging
Tripp the Otter
Water level · past year

Daily elevation (ft)

Live · provisional
723726729732735NovJanMarMayJulSepFULL POOL 730.0
Daily elevationSummer full poolOperating guide curve
Provisional data — not for navigation. Readings come from public agency feeds and may be revised or delayed. Always check official sources and posted notices before boating.

Cave Run Lake, KY

USACE Louisville · Cave Run Dam
Live · provisional
729.98 ft▲ 0.3 ft / 7 days
At summer full pool (730.0 ft)
730.0Full pool (ft)
727.1Guide curve today
728.8This date last year
+1.2vs. last year (ft)

As of Oct 22, 5:05 PM CDT · USGS latest-continuous · Provisional, not for navigation.

Sources

USACE CWMS LRL CaveRun.Elev.Inst.1Hour.0.lrldlb-comp: https://cwms-data.usace.army.mil/cwms-data/timeseries?name=CaveRun.Ele...
USACE CWMS LRL seasonal level "CaveRun Bottom of Flood" (effective 2018-01-01): https://cwms-data.usace.army.mil/cwms-data/levels?office=LRL&unit=EN&p...
USGS Water Data OGC API latest-continuous USGS-03249498 (62614): https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/ogcapi/v0/collections/latest-continuous...
Summer 730 ft / winter 724 ft, verified Oct 22, 2026
Full pool basis: CWMS location level "Top of Conservation"
Fetched Oct 22, 5:23 PM CDT
Note: USGS reading newer than CWMS; using USGS for current.
Plan your day

More for Cave Run Lake

Rent a boat

1 rental business on or near Cave Run Lake. Badges show what each one's own site says they rent.

Scott Creek Marina (Cave Run Marinas)
Morehead, KY
HouseboatPontoonFishing boatPaddle
Contact via website
Source: official site

Call ahead. Rental availability is seasonal and fleets change, so confirm boats, hours and requirements with the business before you go.

Own a rental business? Get listed — contact@evrlakes.com

Check official regulations before you fish. The summary below is a convenience copy and can go out of date. Limits, size rules and closures change, so the KDFWR rules are the ones that count.

Fishing

Species the state wildlife agency highlights or regulates on Cave Run Lake:

Smallmouth bassBlack crappieSpotted bassWhite bassWhite crappieMuskellungeLargemouth bass

Special regulations (KDFWR)

Smallmouth bassMust be 18 inches or over, Statewide creel limits apply
Black crappieStatewide Regulations Apply
Spotted bassStatewide Regulations Apply
White bassStatewide Regulations Apply
White crappieStatewide Regulations Apply
MuskellungeMust be 40 inches or over. Statewide creel limits apply.
Largemouth bass12-15 inch protective slot limit. All fish between 12 and 15 inches must be released. Limit 6 black bass per angler.

KDFWR special fishing regulations for this waterbody (read 2026-10-22). These apply to the Kentucky portion.

Boat ramps, marinas & fuel

rampramprampScott Creek Boat RamprampBlackwater Boat RampPoppin Rock Boat RampBangor Boat RamprampParagon Boat RampClaylick Boat RampWarix Run Boat RampLongbow MarinarampLeatherwood Boat RampScott Creek MarinaAlfrey Boat Ramp RoadBoat Ramp TwentysixCave Run Lake TailwaterRamey Creek access
RampMarinaFuelBait/tackle
Boat ramps (20)

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0. Fetched Oct 22, 3:34 PM CDT. OSM coverage is volunteer-made, so some places may be missing or outdated.

Things to do

Parks within roughly 8 miles of the lake's outer extent are listed from OpenStreetMap and the official park sites, plus federal areas from Recreation.gov.

Lodging & camping

Sources: Recreation.gov and OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Confirm dates and availability with the operator.

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Some lodging links may become affiliate links (disclosure).