Water temp
72.7°F
USGS 02079500 updated 10:00 AM
Waters · Lakes · VA · Wed, Sep 30
Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) water level today 288.62 ft, falling
Bite index 6/10 — Biting — get there by six.
Also known as Buggs Island Lake.
Worth a cast.
6/10
Biting
Today's bite windows
12 AM6 AMNoon6 PM11 PM
10Peak 9 8Strong 7 6Good 5 4Slow 3 2 1Dead
Major
2:59 AM–4:59 AM
Moon overhead
Minor
11:07 AM–12:07 PM
Moonset
Major
3:29 PM–5:29 PM
Moon underfoot
Minor
8:46 PM–9:46 PM
Moonrise
Sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 6:58 PM · tomorrow's first major 3:59 AM–5:59 AM · windows on every water
Solunar · computed updated 10:27 AM
Conditions right now
Water level
288.62ft
-0.09 ft in 24h
USGS 02079490 stale — last good 5:50 AM
Pressure
30.16inHg
rising · +2.7 hPa/12h
NOAA KHNZ updated 8:30 AM
Wind
0mph N
NOAA KHNZ updated 8:30 AM
Moon
81% waning
Solunar · computed updated 10:27 AM
What this means
Largemouth bass
73°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Crappie
73°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Catfish
73°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Kerr Lake level over the last 8 days
288.62 ft down 0.09 ft in 24 hours
That sits 11% of the way up the band it has held over the last 7 days, between 288.56 and 289.09 ft. Over the week it is down0.44ft.
09-22 288.56–289.09 ft 09-29
USGS 02079490 updated 5:50 AM
The week ahead
| Thu | 7 | Biting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 8 | On fire | |
| Sat | 8 | On fire | |
| Sun | 7 | Biting | |
| Mon | 7 | Biting | |
| Tue | 7 | Biting | |
| Wed | 7 | Biting |
Forecast days carry solunar and the wind outlook. Pressure and gauge movement land the morning of.
Kerr Lake boat ramps and public fishing access
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission lists 4 public access points on Kerr Lake.
- Henderson Point 5.2 miLaunch lanes: 1Floating docks: 1Trailer parking: 22Accessible trailer parking: 1Parking surface: PavedAccessible walkway: Yes
- County Line 5.3 miLaunch lanes: 2Floating docks: 1Fishing pier: YesTrailer parking: 44Accessible trailer parking: 1Parking surface: PavedAccessible walkway: Yes
- Hibernia 7.9 miLaunch lanes: 2Floating docks: 1Trailer parking: 40Accessible trailer parking: 2Parking surface: PavedAccessible walkway: Yes
- Flemingtown Landing 11 miLaunch lanes: 5Floating docks: 3Trailer parking: 71Accessible trailer parking: 1Parking surface: UnpavedAccessible walkway: Yes
Access data from North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Distances are straight-line from our gauge, not driving distance.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission · public access inventory
Before you go
A Virginia fishing license covers this water — $23 a year for residents. DWR sets the rules and is the one that counts.
What it costs, and who is exempt →Nearby waters today
- 6 Biting Rocky River NC · 139 km
- 4 Picky Virginia Beach VA · 180 km
- 5 Picky Hatteras NC · 280 km
- 4 Picky Lake Hartwell GA · 473 km
- 5 Picky Lake Cumberland KY · 611 km
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?
- 6 out of 10 — biting. Worth a cast. The strongest stretch is 2:59 AM–4:59 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 2:59 AM–4:59 AM and 3:29 PM–5:29 PM, with minor windows at 11:07 AM–12:07 PM and 8:46 PM–9:46 PM. Sunrise is 7:07 AM and sunset 6:58 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?
- 72.7°F, read at 10:00 AM from USGS station 02079500. That is 0.4 degrees warmer than 24 hours ago.
- What is the water level at Kerr Lake right now?
- 288.62 ft, read at 5:50 AM from USGS station 02079490. Over 24 hours it is down 0.09 ft.
- Are water levels rising or falling at Kerr Lake?
- Falling. The lake is down 0.09 ft in 24 hours and down 0.44 ft over the week. Over the last 7 days it has held between 288.56 and 289.09 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.
- 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.
- Do you need a licence to fish Kerr Lake?
- Yes. A Virginia fishing license covers this water, required from age 16. DWR sets the rules and is the one that counts.
- 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
- Solunar computed 10:27 AM
- NOAA KHNZ Henderson-Oxford Airport 8:30 AM
- NOAA AKQ gridded forecast 9:06 AM
- USGS 02079490 JOHN H. KERR RESERVOIR AT DAM NEAR BOYDTON, VA 5:50 AM
- USGS 02079500 ROANOKE RIVER AT BUGGS ISLAND, VA 10:00 AM
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.