Overview
Lake Moomaw is a 2,530-acre reservoir on the Jackson River in Alleghany and Bath counties in Virginia's Alleghany Highlands. It was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District completed Gathright Dam (operational about 1979, full pool in the early 1980s) for flood risk management, downstream water-quality flow augmentation, and recreation.
About 12 miles long with roughly 43.5 miles of undeveloped, forested shoreline, Moomaw averages near 80 feet deep and reaches about 152 feet at the dam. Steep canyon walls, a pronounced old river channel, and surrounding national forest and wildlife management lands give the lake a wild mountain character uncommon among Virginia reservoirs.
The lake supports both warmwater fishing and a stocked trout fishery, with management by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. U.S. Forest Service recreation areas, boat ramps, and camping around Bolar Mountain and related sites provide the main public access.
Water levels on Lake Moomaw are managed by the Corps around a normal recreation pool near 1,582 feet above mean sea level, with a typical seasonal drawdown of about 10 to 15 feet and flood storage extending toward 1,610 feet. Monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, fishing, and shoreline access as the project balances flood storage and downstream flow needs.
Current Conditions
Lake Moomaw is currently 7.89 feet below full pool and has been falling over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 1.06 ft
- 30-day changeDown 4.32 ft
- Drought conditionsAbnormally Dry
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Moomaw is a 2,530-acre reservoir on the Jackson River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.