Waters · Lakes · VA · Mon, Aug 17

How's the bite at Kerr Lake today? On fire — get there by six.

Drop everything. Go.

8/10
On fire

Today's bite windows

12 AM6 AMNoon6 PM11 PM
Major
3:49 AM–5:49 AM
Moon underfoot
Minor
11:16 AM–12:16 PM
Moonrise
Major
4:11 PM–6:11 PM
Moon overhead
Minor
9:59 PM–10:59 PM
Moonset

Sunrise 6:32 AM · sunset 8:01 PM · tomorrow's first major 4:34 AM–6:34 AM · windows on every water

Solunar · computed updated 5:24 AM

Conditions right now

Water temp
68.2°F
USGS 02079500 updated 5:00 AM
Water level
292.99ft
-0.08 ft in 24h
USGS 02079490 updated 5:10 AM
Pressure
29.93inHg
falling · -2.7 hPa/12h
NOAA KHNZ updated 4:35 AM
Wind
0mph N
NOAA KHNZ updated 4:35 AM
Moon
27% waxing
Solunar · computed updated 5:24 AM

What this means

Largemouth bass
68°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Crappie
68°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Catfish
68°F is on the cool side. Slow everything down.
Work mid to deep.

Kerr Lake water level today

292.99 ft down 0.08 ft in 24 hours

That sits 4% of the way up the band it has held over the last 8 days, between 292.95 and 293.91 ft. Over the week it is down0.84ft.

08-09 292.95–293.91 ft 08-17
USGS 02079490 updated 5:10 AM

The week ahead

Tue 7 Biting
Wed 7 Biting
Thu 7 Biting
Fri 8 On fire
Sat 7 Biting
Sun 6 Biting
Mon 7 Biting

Forecast days carry solunar and the wind outlook. Pressure and gauge movement land the morning of.

Before you go

A VA fishing license covers this water. The state agency sets the rules and is the one that counts.

Nearby waters today

Questions people ask about Kerr Lake

Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Kerr Lake.

Is it worth fishing Kerr Lake today?
8 out of 10 — on fire. Drop everything. Go. The strongest stretch is 3:49 AM–5:49 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level and the water temperature.
What time should you fish Kerr Lake?
Today's major windows run 3:49 AM–5:49 AM and 4:11 PM–6:11 PM, with minor windows at 11:16 AM–12:16 PM and 9:59 PM–10:59 PM. Sunrise is 6:32 AM and sunset 8:01 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.
What is the water temperature at Kerr Lake?
68.2°F, read at 5:00 AM from USGS station 02079500. That is 0.4 degrees cooler than 24 hours ago.
What is the water level at Kerr Lake right now?
292.99 ft, read at 5:10 AM from USGS station 02079490. Over 24 hours it is down 0.08 ft.
Can you eat the fish you catch in Kerr Lake?
That is a health question and it belongs with the state, not with us. VA publishes fish consumption advisories through its health or environmental agency, and those are the ones that count. We give no eating advice.
What size fish can you keep in Virginia?
It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: striped bass (rockfish), summer flounder, black sea bass, bluefish. Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.

Striped bass (rockfish) limits · Summer flounder limits · Black sea bass limits · Bluefish limits · Check a length against the rules

Where these numbers come from

The dam gauge reports the reservoir surface itself (parameter 62614), not a river stage below the wall — the trap that cost Lake Anna, Folsom and Lake Wylie their pages. Water temperature comes from the Roanoke River gauge at Buggs Island, the same pool. Locals and the agency both use "Buggs Island Lake" for this water; the official name is John H. Kerr Reservoir.

No one types these in by hand. If a source goes quiet, the page says so instead of showing you yesterday.