Lake levels guide

Lake levels this fall: which lakes are low or high right now

Live rankings rebuilt every day: the lakes furthest below and above full pool, the lowest by percent full, and the biggest 7-day rises and drops, from Army Corps, TVA, utility and USGS readings.

By LakeCharts USA · Updated October 28, 2026 · Live tables rebuild with each data refresh

Right now: of the 498 lakes we track with a published full or summer pool, 350 are more than 1 ft below it, 116 are within a foot, and 32 are more than 1 ft above it. The furthest below is Lake Mead (−190.8 ft); the furthest above is Loyalhanna Lake (+14.1 ft). This week’s biggest rise is Hensley Lake (+25.9 ft in 7 days), and the biggest drop is Tygart Lake (−20.7 ft).

Live data as of Oct 28, 2026. This page is rebuilt with every data refresh, so the rankings change daily. Levels in feet above sea level (or the operator’s datum). Readings older than 7 days are left out. Being below full pool in fall is often planned: see why is the lake so low? for winter drawdowns.

Lakes furthest below full pool

Lake	Operator	Today (ft)	Full / summer pool	vs pool	% full	7 days
Lake Mead NV	Reclamation	1,038.2	1,229.0 full pool	−190.8 ft	—	+1.0 ft
Lake Powell AZ	Reclamation	3,530.1	3,700.0 full pool	−169.9 ft	—	+9.4 ft
Blue Mesa Reservoir CO	Reclamation	7,414.5	7,519.4 full pool	−104.9 ft	—	+2.8 ft
Shasta Lake CA	Army Corps	973.6	1,067.0 full pool	−93.4 ft	—	—
Arrowrock Lake ID	Army Corps	3,135.8	3,215.8 normal pool	−80.0 ft	31%	—
Phillips Lake OR	Army Corps	3,982.5	4,062.4 full pool	−79.9 ft	—	—
Detroit Lake OR	Army Corps	1,485.5	1,563.5 full pool	−78.0 ft	50%	−4.2 ft
Wynoochee Lake WA	Army Corps	730.1	800.0 normal pool	−69.9 ft	20%	−1.8 ft
Fall Creek Lake OR	Army Corps	763.5	830.0 full pool	−66.5 ft	27%	−2.6 ft
Folsom Lake CA	Army Corps	399.9	466.0 full pool	−66.1 ft	50%	−1.6 ft
Palo Duro Reservoir TX	TWDB (Texas)	2,826.2	2,892.0 conservation pool	−65.8 ft	0%	±0.0 ft
Lost Creek Reservoir UT	Army Corps	5,942.0	6,005.0 full pool	−63.0 ft	28%	—
Warm Springs Reservoir OR	Army Corps	3,343.9	3,404.0 normal pool	−60.1 ft	4%	—
Greenbelt Lake TX	TWDB (Texas)	2,606.6	2,664.0 conservation pool	−57.4 ft	4%	−0.1 ft
Millerton Lake CA	Army Corps	502.4	559.8 full pool	−57.4 ft	—	—
Hensley Lake CA	Army Corps	453.3	510.1 full pool	−56.8 ft	—	+25.9 ft
E. V. Spence Reservoir TX	TWDB (Texas)	1,842.1	1,898.0 conservation pool	−55.9 ft	9%	±0.0 ft
Amistad Reservoir TX	TWDB (Texas)	1,062.9	1,117.0 conservation pool	−54.1 ft	47%	+0.4 ft
Colebrook River Lake CT	Army Corps	656.0	710.0 normal pool	−54.0 ft	34%	−2.2 ft
Trinidad Lake CO	Army Corps	6,176.1	6,230.0 normal pool	−53.9 ft	23%	+2.2 ft

Lakes furthest above full pool

A lake above its full pool is usually holding floodwater in its flood pool, as designed, and releasing it as the river below allows. A few Army Corps lakes publish a lower winter or normal pool as their reference level, so a lake still held at its summer level can also show up here. Check the lake page and the operator’s notes before reading too much into one number.

Lake	Operator	Today (ft)	Full / summer pool	vs pool	% full	7 days
Loyalhanna Lake PA	Army Corps	923.7	909.5 full pool	+14.1 ft	—	+0.4 ft
Sardis Lake MS	Army Corps	246.5	236.0 full pool	+10.5 ft	—	−1.8 ft
Conemaugh River Lake PA	Army Corps	908.9	899.2 full pool	+9.6 ft	—	−6.4 ft
Enid Lake MS	Army Corps	239.3	230.0 full pool	+9.3 ft	—	−1.3 ft
Crooked Creek Lake PA	Army Corps	843.9	837.4 full pool	+6.5 ft	—	−0.1 ft
Tuttle Creek Lake KS	Army Corps	1,079.5	1,075.0 full pool	+4.5 ft	102%	−3.6 ft
Lake Red Rock IA	Army Corps	745.8	742.0 full pool	+3.8 ft	133%	−1.3 ft
Tionesta Lake PA	Army Corps	1,088.3	1,084.6 full pool	+3.8 ft	129%	−1.0 ft
Lewis and Clark Lake SD	Army Corps	1,208.0	1,204.5 full pool	+3.5 ft	126%	+0.1 ft
Kanopolis Lake KS	Army Corps	1,466.5	1,463.0 full pool	+3.5 ft	122%	−0.3 ft
Cochiti Lake NM	Army Corps	5,348.3	5,345.5 full pool	+2.8 ft	108%	+4.0 ft
Perry Lake KS	Army Corps	893.9	891.5 full pool	+2.4 ft	114%	−0.1 ft
Oologah Lake OK	Army Corps	640.4	638.0 full pool	+2.4 ft	116%	−0.1 ft
Bodcau Lake LA	Army Corps	159.4	157.0 full pool	+2.4 ft	—	−0.8 ft
Francis E. Walter Reservoir PA	Army Corps	1,302.3	1,300.0 normal pool	+2.3 ft	112%	−1.3 ft

Lowest by percent full

Percent full compares the volume in the conservation pool with its capacity, as reported by the operator or the Texas Water Development Board. It doesn’t line up foot for foot with feet below full pool.

Lake	Operator	Today (ft)	Full / summer pool	vs pool	% full	7 days
Palo Duro Reservoir TX	TWDB (Texas)	2,826.2	2,892.0 conservation pool	−65.8 ft	0%	±0.0 ft
Warm Springs Reservoir OR	Army Corps	3,343.9	3,404.0 normal pool	−60.1 ft	4%	—
Twin Buttes Reservoir TX	Army Corps	1,894.1	1,940.2 full pool	−46.1 ft	4%	−0.3 ft
Greenbelt Lake TX	TWDB (Texas)	2,606.6	2,664.0 conservation pool	−57.4 ft	4%	−0.1 ft
Paonia Reservoir CO	Army Corps	6,377.6	6,413.7 full pool	−36.1 ft	6%	—
Lake Abilene TX	TWDB (Texas)	1,990.9	2,012.3 conservation pool	−21.4 ft	7%	−0.1 ft
Beulah Reservoir OR	Army Corps	3,292.0	3,333.0 normal pool	−41.0 ft	9%	—
E. V. Spence Reservoir TX	TWDB (Texas)	1,842.1	1,898.0 conservation pool	−55.9 ft	9%	±0.0 ft
Jackson Lake WY	Army Corps	6,734.5	6,768.0 normal pool	−33.5 ft	10%	+0.2 ft
John Martin Lake CO	Army Corps	3,806.3	3,851.8 full pool	−45.5 ft	10%	+0.7 ft
O.C. Fisher Lake TX	Army Corps	1,871.8	1,908.0 full pool	−36.2 ft	10%	−0.1 ft
Cottage Grove Lake OR	Army Corps	753.2	790.0 full pool	−36.8 ft	13%	−3.0 ft

Biggest 7-day rises

Lake	Operator	Today (ft)	7 days	24 hours	vs pool
Hensley Lake CA	Army Corps	453.3	+25.9 ft	+0.02 ft	−56.8 ft
Navajo Reservoir NM	Army Corps	6,045.9	+24.4 ft	+1.09 ft	−39.1 ft
Heron Reservoir NM	Reclamation	7,091.9	+17.2 ft	+0.65 ft	—
Platoro Reservoir CO	Reclamation	9,998.9	+12.6 ft	+0.34 ft	—
Silver Jack Reservoir CO	Reclamation	8,873.6	+12.4 ft	+0.61 ft	—
Lemon Reservoir CO	Army Corps	8,137.0	+12.0 ft	−0.14 ft	−10.9 ft
Abiquiu Reservoir NM	Army Corps	6,212.1	+11.9 ft	+0.86 ft	−17.9 ft
Upper Stillwater Reservoir UT	Reclamation	8,126.8	+11.8 ft	+1.54 ft	—
McPhee Reservoir CO	Reclamation	6,874.7	+9.5 ft	+0.61 ft	—
Lake Powell AZ	Reclamation	3,530.1	+9.4 ft	+1.30 ft	−169.9 ft

Biggest 7-day drops

Fast drops in fall are usually planned releases toward a winter pool, or flood water being let out after a storm.

Lake	Operator	Today (ft)	7 days	24 hours	vs pool
Tygart Lake WV	Army Corps	1,061.4	−20.7 ft	−0.37 ft	−9.9 ft
Willard Bay Reservoir UT	Reclamation	4,197.5	−18.6 ft	±0.00 ft	—
Dorena Lake OR	Army Corps	778.2	−11.4 ft	−1.69 ft	−53.8 ft
Green Peter Lake OR	USGS gauge	848.8	−11.1 ft	−0.67 ft	—
Blue River Lake OR	USGS gauge	1,215.8	−8.8 ft	+0.04 ft	—
Schoharie Reservoir NY	USGS gauge	1,118.5	−8.2 ft	−0.97 ft	—
Howard Hanson Reservoir WA	Army Corps	1,119.2	−7.7 ft	−1.05 ft	−47.8 ft
Summersville Lake WV	Army Corps	1,634.1	−6.8 ft	−0.38 ft	−17.9 ft
Conemaugh River Lake PA	Army Corps	908.9	−6.4 ft	−1.06 ft	+9.6 ft
Mahoning Creek Lake PA	Army Corps	1,088.2	−5.1 ft	−0.36 ft	−1.1 ft

By state

States with at least five tracked lakes, and how many are more than 1 ft below full pool today.

State	Lakes tracked	More than 1 ft below	Share
Texas	120	105	88%
Oklahoma	30	19	63%
North Carolina	27	25	93%
Pennsylvania	24	7	29%
Ohio	24	6	25%
Kansas	24	9	38%
California	20	19	95%
Tennessee	18	11	61%
Kentucky	17	10	59%
Oregon	16	15	94%
South Carolina	13	11	85%
Arkansas	13	11	85%
Colorado	11	11	100%
Minnesota	11	1	9%
Missouri	10	3	30%
Georgia	9	8	89%
West Virginia	9	3	33%
South Dakota	9	6	67%
North Dakota	9	3	33%
Virginia	8	7	88%
Utah	8	8	100%
New Mexico	7	6	86%
Washington	7	7	100%
Montana	6	6	100%
Indiana	5	3	60%
Nebraska	5	5	100%
Mississippi	5	3	60%
Idaho	5	5	100%

More guides: TVA winter drawdown, what full pool means, Texas lake levels.

FAQ

Which lakes are low right now?

As of today, 350 of the 498 lakes we track with a published full pool are more than 1 ft below it. The furthest below is Lake Mead at 190.8 ft below full pool. The tables on this page are rebuilt every day.

Why are so many lakes below full pool in the fall?

Many are lowered on purpose to make room for winter and spring floods, or follow a seasonal guide curve that is lower in winter. A dry fall adds to it, because operators must keep releasing water downstream.

Why is a lake above full pool?

Usually because it is storing floodwater. Flood-control lakes have storage above the conservation pool, and after heavy rain they hold the extra water and release it as the river downstream allows. A few lakes publish a winter or normal pool as their reference level, so a lake held at its summer level can also read above it.

How often is this page updated?

Every time the site’s data refreshes, normally daily. Each lake page has the live reading, the 7-day change and the operator’s full pool.