Yale Reservoir Water Level
USGS gauge 14218480 · near Cougar, WA
Latest reading Oct 26, 1:00 PM · elevation
Yale Reservoir is at 472.00 ft today, 6.5 ft higher than a year ago. It has risen 1.00 ft since yesterday and is down 1.00 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelReading
Yale Reservoir fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETLevel rising, calm wind — fair fall fishing day (5/10), best window 8:05 AM–9:05 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 52°F / low 46°FLight Rain
- WindCalm0–2 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 8
- Level472.00 ftLevel rising 1.00 ft in 24 h
Official Washington fishing report: Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife — Fishing and stocking reports
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
5/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Sun, Nov 8 · Sunrise 7:41 AM · Sunset 6:03 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:22 PM–2:22 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset8:05 AM–9:05 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:29 PM–6:29 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:22 PM–2:22 PM Minor 8:05 AM–9:05 AM · 5:29 PM–6:29 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:51 AM–2:51 AM · 1:21 PM–3:21 PM Minor 9:29 AM–10:29 AM · 6:06 PM–7:06 PM Calm wind 1–4 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 4/10Fair | Major 1:52 AM–3:52 AM · 2:24 PM–4:24 PM Minor 10:49 AM–11:49 AM · 6:56 PM–7:56 PM Light wind 0–8 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:56 AM–4:56 AM · 3:29 PM–5:29 PM Minor 12:00 PM–1:00 PM · 7:59 PM–8:59 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:01 AM–6:01 AM · 4:32 PM–6:32 PM Minor 12:56 PM–1:56 PM · 9:14 PM–10:14 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:03 AM–7:03 AM · 5:32 PM–7:32 PM Minor 1:38 PM–2:38 PM · 10:34 PM–11:34 PM Calm wind 0–4 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:00 AM–7:00 AM · 5:27 PM–7:27 PM Minor 1:10 PM–2:10 PM · 10:54 PM–11:54 PM Calm wind 0–2 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)
| 0 |
| Today | 5, rounded | 5/10 |
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 46.03, -122.31 (moon times from astronomical equations, Yale Reservoir local time).
Weather & wind at Yale Reservoir
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon52° / 46°Light RainWind S 2 mphRain 96%
- Tuesday50° / 44°Light RainWind SW 3 mphRain 100%
- Wednesday47° / 42°Rain then Showers And ThunderstormsWind SSW 0 to 8 mphRain 100%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 46.033, -122.313 (grid PQR), issued Oct 26, 12:41 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- Today472.00 ft
- Same date last year465.54 ft+6.5 ft change
- 12-month high479.52 ftMar 13, 2026
- 12-month low465.00 ftOct 31, 2025
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 471.93 | +0.35 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 471.58 | −0.65 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 472.23 | −0.77 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 473.00 | ±0.00 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 473.00 | +0.08 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 472.92 | −0.70 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 473.62 | +0.62 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 473.00 | ±0.00 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 473.00 | +0.69 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 472.31 | +0.31 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Lake Merwin5 mi · Lake · Chelatchie229.00 ft24h −1.00 ft
- Swift Reservoir 3.2 Mi East of Dam9 mi · Lake · Cougar952.00 ft24h ±0.00 ft
- Castle Lake16 mi · Lake · Mount St. Helens2,577.76 ft24h +0.09 ft
- Spirit Lake18 mi · Lake · Tunnel at Spirit Lake3,403.36 ft24h −0.01 ft
- Willamette River at Portland40 mi · River16,600 cfs104% of normal
- Bull Run Reservoir No 140 mi · Lake · Bull Run977.72 ft24h ±0.00 ft
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 14218480 — Yale Reservoir Near Cougar, Wa
- Location
- 46.0326, -122.3129 · Washington
- Measures
- Lake/reservoir water-surface elevation above NGVD 1929
- Daily statistics
- Not available (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 1:00 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.