Hempstead Lake Water Level
USGS gauge 0131079450 · at Hempstead, NY
Latest reading Oct 26, 2:00 PM · elevation
Hempstead Lake is at 21.04 ft today, 1.2 ft higher than a year ago. It has fallen 0.04 ft since yesterday and is down 0.29 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelReading
Hempstead Lake fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETLevel steady, light W wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 7:25 AM–8:25 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 69°F / low 51°FSunny
- WindLight W6–9 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 13
- Level21.04 ftLevel steady (−0.04 ft in 24 h)
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 7:18 AM · Sunset 5:58 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:00 PM–2:00 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:25 AM–8:25 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:27 PM–6:27 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:00 PM–2:00 PM Minor 7:25 AM–8:25 AM · 5:27 PM–6:27 PM Light wind 6–9 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:29 AM–2:29 AM · 12:58 PM–2:58 PM Minor 8:43 AM–9:43 AM · 6:07 PM–7:07 PM Light wind 5–10 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:29 AM–3:29 AM · 2:01 PM–4:01 PM Minor 10:00 AM–11:00 AM · 6:58 PM–7:58 PM Light wind 4–7 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 2:33 AM–4:33 AM · 3:05 PM–5:05 PM Minor 11:11 AM–12:11 PM · 8:01 PM–9:01 PM Light wind 2–9 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 3:38 AM–5:38 AM · 4:09 PM–6:09 PM Minor 12:10 PM–1:10 PM · 9:12 PM–10:12 PM Light wind 7–8 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:40 AM–6:40 AM · 5:09 PM–7:09 PM Minor 12:58 PM–1:58 PM · 10:27 PM–11:27 PM Light wind 5–7 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:38 AM–6:38 AM · 5:05 PM–7:05 PM Minor 12:35 PM–1:35 PM · 10:43 PM–11:43 PM Light wind 4–8 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 40.67, -73.65 (moon times from astronomical equations, Hempstead Lake local time).
Weather & wind at Hempstead Lake
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon69° / 51°SunnyWind W 8 mphRain 2%
- Tuesday61° / 42°SunnyWind N 6 to 10 mphRain 3%
- Wednesday63° / 52°SunnyWind E 3 to 7 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 40.673, -73.647 (grid OKX), issued Oct 26, 2:20 PM 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 the operator- Today21.04 ft
- Same date last year19.84 ft+1.2 ft change
- 12-month high23.04 ftMay 21, 2026
- 12-month low19.80 ftOct 29, 2025
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 21.05 | −0.03 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 21.08 | −0.04 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 21.12 | −0.04 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 21.16 | −0.04 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 21.20 | −0.05 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 21.25 | −0.05 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 21.30 | −0.05 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 21.35 | −0.05 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 21.40 | −0.05 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 21.45 | −0.04 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Baisley Pond7 mi · Lake · South Ozone Park5.64 ft24h ±0.00 ft
- Clove Lake24 mi · Lake · Sunnyside, Staten Island129.93 ft24h −0.02 ft
- Ohrback Lake26 mi · Lake · Richmond, Staten Island249.72 ft24h ±0.00 ft
- Oradell Reservoir28 mi · Lake · Oradell22.12 ft24h −0.16 ft
- Passaic River at Dundee Dam at Clifton29 mi · River434 cfs121% of normal
- Lake Tappan30 mi · Lake · Old Tappan54.80 ft24h −0.01 ft
Nearby tides
Heading to the coast? The nearest NOAA tide station is Baldwin, Parsonage Cove, Hempstead Bay, NY, 3 mi away — see Baldwin, Parsonage Cove, Hempstead Bay, NY tide times on TideCharts USA.
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 0131079450 — Hempstead Lake At Hempstead Ny
- Location
- 40.6728, -73.6469 · New York
- Measures
- Lake/reservoir water-surface elevation above NAVD 1988
- Daily statistics
- Not available (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 2:00 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
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.