New Melones Reservoir Water Level
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · California
Latest reading Oct 26, 9:00 AM · elevation
New Melones Reservoir is 51.1 ft below full pool today (1,003.70 ft vs 1,054.85 ft), 11.7 ft lower than a year ago. It has fallen 0.06 ft since yesterday and is down 0.32 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelFull pool (1,054.8 ft) is 51.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Full pool (1,054.8 ft) is 51.1 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
New Melones Reservoir fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 12:50 PM ETLake 51.1 ft below full pool and steady, light WNW wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 7:35 AM–8:35 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 68°F / low 47°FSunny
- WindLight WNW4–7 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 15
- Level51.1 ft below full poolLevel steady (−0.06 ft in 24 h)
Official California fishing info: California Department of Fish and Wildlife — Inland fishing info
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Sun, Nov 8 · Sunrise 7:21 AM · Sunset 6:09 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:15 PM–2:15 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:35 AM–8:35 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:47 PM–6:47 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:15 PM–2:15 PM Minor 7:35 AM–8:35 AM · 5:47 PM–6:47 PM Light wind 4–7 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:44 AM–2:44 AM · 1:14 PM–3:14 PM Minor 8:52 AM–9:52 AM · 6:30 PM–7:30 PM Light wind 2–7 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:45 AM–3:45 AM · 2:17 PM–4:17 PM Minor 10:07 AM–11:07 AM · 7:24 PM–8:24 PM Light wind 2–6 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:49 AM–4:49 AM · 3:21 PM–5:21 PM Minor 11:16 AM–12:16 PM · 8:28 PM–9:28 PM Calm wind 1–6 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 3:53 AM–5:53 AM · 4:25 PM–6:25 PM Minor 12:14 PM–1:14 PM · 9:39 PM–10:39 PM Calm wind 0–7 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:55 AM–6:55 AM · 5:24 PM–7:24 PM Minor 1:02 PM–2:02 PM · 10:53 PM–11:53 PM Calm wind 1–6 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:52 AM–6:52 AM · 5:19 PM–7:19 PM Minor 12:41 PM–1:41 PM · 11:06 PM–12:06 AM Light wind 2–7 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 2 |
| Today | 7, rounded | 7/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 37.95, -120.53 (moon times from astronomical equations, New Melones Reservoir local time).
Weather & wind at New Melones Reservoir
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- Today68° / 47°SunnyWind WNW 3 to 7 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday64° / 44°SunnyWind NW 2 to 7 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday66° / 49°SunnyWind WNW 2 to 6 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 37.949, -120.525 (grid STO), issued Oct 26, 2:01 AM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Past 12 months
daily readings from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers- Today1,003.70 ft
- Same date last year1,015.44 ft−11.7 ft change
- 12-month high1,041.82 ftMar 25, 2026
- 12-month low1,003.70 ftOct 26, 2026
- Full pool1,054.85 ftUSACE
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,003.70 | −0.07 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,003.77 | −0.10 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,003.87 | −0.12 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,003.99 | −0.11 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,004.10 | +0.08 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,004.02 | +0.01 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,004.01 | −0.05 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,004.06 | −0.14 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,004.20 | −0.19 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 1,004.39 | −0.26 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Tulloch Reservoir7 mi · Lake · Knights Ferry497.17 ft−5.56 ft vs full pool
- New Hogan Lake21 mi · Lake666.22 ft−29.58 ft vs full pool
- Lake McClure29 mi · Lake773.79 ft−43.48 ft vs full pool
- Merced River at Pohono Bridge near Yosemite50 mi · River17.8 cfs56% of normal
- American River at Fair Oaks61 mi · River1,180 cfs70% of normal
- Folsom Lake62 mi · Lake400.22 ft−65.78 ft vs full pool
About this data
- Source
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Location
- 37.9486, -120.5250 · California
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation, feet above sea level (NGVD29)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 9:00 AM local time
- History
- 368 days on file since 2025-09-21
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 12:50 PM ET
- Full pool
- 1,054.85 ft — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Top of Conservation)
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.