LUCAS, Ky. — Barren River Lake remains more than 4 feet below its normal summer pool, according to a Wednesday update from Barren River Lake State Resort Park.

As of Wednesday morning, the lake stood at 547.60 feet above mean sea level, about 4.4 feet below its full summer pool elevation of 552 feet.

A dry spring and summer have kept water levels well below normal. Earlier this season, the park delayed opening its beach because the lake remained more than 10 feet below summer pool through late May.

The lake remains open for boating, fishing and other recreational activities. The beach area remains closed because water levels are still too low to safely open it.

Barren River Lake serves as a “flood control lake,” meaning water levels are lowered during the winter to create storage capacity for spring rainfall and runoff from the surrounding watershed.

For comparison, the lake stood at 565.37 feet above mean sea level on July 8, 2025, after extensive spring flooding pushed water levels well above normal.