Chautauqua Lake Water Level
USGS gauge 03013946 · at Bemus Point, NY
Latest reading Oct 26, 11:30 AM · elevation
Chautauqua Lake is at 1,307.95 ft today — about normal for late October. It has held steady since yesterday and is down 0.05 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Chautauqua Lake fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 12:50 PM ETLake at its normal level for the date and steady, light W wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 7:53 AM–8:53 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 66°F / low 36°FMostly Sunny
- WindLight W2–8 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 15
- Levelat its normal level for the dateLevel steady (±0.00 ft in 24 h)
Main species
- Largemouth bass
- Smallmouth bass
- Muskellunge
- Walleye
- Yellow perch
- Pumpkinseed
- Bluegill
- Black crappie
- White crappie
- White perch
- White bass
- Brown bullhead
- Yellow bullhead
- Common carp
- Rock bass
Source: New York State DEC — “Fish Species” listed by NYSDEC (game and panfish shown), as published on the NYSDEC Chautauqua Lake page.
Official New York fishing report: NYSDEC — Freshwater fishing & regional fishing hotlines
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:43 AM · Sunset 6:18 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:24 PM–2:24 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:53 AM–8:53 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:46 PM–6:46 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:24 PM–2:24 PM Minor 7:53 AM–8:53 AM · 5:46 PM–6:46 PM Light wind 2–8 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:52 AM–2:52 AM · 1:22 PM–3:22 PM Minor 9:12 AM–10:12 AM · 6:26 PM–7:26 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 4/10Fair | Major 1:53 AM–3:53 AM · 2:25 PM–4:25 PM Minor 10:30 AM–11:30 AM · 7:16 PM–8:16 PM Light wind 4–6 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:57 AM–4:57 AM · 3:29 PM–5:29 PM Minor 11:41 AM–12:41 PM · 8:18 PM–9:18 PM Light wind 6–10 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:02 AM–6:02 AM · 4:33 PM–6:33 PM Minor 12:40 PM–1:40 PM · 9:30 PM–10:30 PM Light wind 4–7 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:04 AM–7:04 AM · 5:33 PM–7:33 PM Minor 1:27 PM–2:27 PM · 10:47 PM–11:47 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:02 AM–7:02 AM · 5:29 PM–7:29 PM Minor 1:03 PM–2:03 PM · 11:03 PM–12:03 AM Light wind 5–9 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 42.16, -79.39 (moon times from astronomical equations, Chautauqua Lake local time).
Weather & wind at Chautauqua Lake
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon66° / 36°Mostly SunnyWind NW 8 mphRain 6%
- Tuesday60° / 39°Patchy Fog then SunnyWind NE 5 mphRain 5%
- Wednesday68° / 46°Partly SunnyWind S 6 mphRain 1%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 42.156, -79.394 (grid BUF), issued Oct 26, 9:58 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.
October 26 in history
52 years of level records- Today1,307.95 ft
- Same date last year1,307.89 ft2025
- Median1,307.99 ft
- Normal range1,307.77 ft – 1,308.20 ft25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19731,308.94 ft2007
- Lowest since 19731,306.83 ft1992
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,307.95 | ±0.00 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,307.95 | −0.01 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,307.96 | −0.01 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,307.97 | −0.01 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,307.98 | ±0.00 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,307.98 | −0.01 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,307.99 | −0.01 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,308.00 | −0.01 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,308.01 | −0.02 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 1,308.03 | +0.01 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Conewango Creek at Russell20 mi · River164 cfs23% of normal
- Brokenstraw Creek at Youngsville21 mi · River82.4 cfs36% of normal
- Allegheny River below Conewango Creek at Warren25 mi · River2,370 cfs59% of normal
- Allegheny River at Kinzua Dam29 mi · River2,270 cfs90% of normal
- Allegheny Reservoir (Kinzua)30 mi · Lake · Warren1,317.39 ft−10.61 ft vs normal summer pool
- Allegheny River at Red House30 mi · River7.55 ftstage 7.55 ft
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 03013946 — Chautauqua Lake At Bemus Point Ny
- Location
- 42.1564, -79.3938 · New York
- Measures
- Lake/reservoir water-surface elevation above NGVD 1929
- Daily statistics
- 1973–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 11:30 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 12:50 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge BEPN6 — National Water Prediction Service
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.