Lake Athens Water Level Today - 439.01 ft, 94.0% Full

Neches River · Texas - updated daily from official gauges

Western Reservoir Conditions·Daily·No. 47·Tuesday, September 8, 2026·Latest reading September 8, 2026

• Lake Athens is 94.0% full - high on this site's capacity scale - as of September 8, 2026. Surface elevation 439.01 feet, storage 27,723 acre-feet (capacity basis 29,503 acre-feet), per Texas Water Development Board data.
• That elevation is its lowest September reading since 2023, and 4.63 feet above its record low of 434.38 ft (November 19, 2011), in a daily record going back to April 10, 1999 (TWDB's period of record for this reservoir).
• Storage is 102% of the September 8 average across 28 years of record.
• Lake Athens is rising: elevation changed +0.03 ft over the past week, -0.52 ft over the past month, and -1.33 ft over the past year, per Texas Water Development Board data.

Lake Athens is holding near the top of its operating range at 94.0% of capacity, -1.33 ft over the past twelve months.

Lake Athens operating range

Lake Athens is operated within a narrow band rather than drawn down and refilled over years. As of September 8, 2026 it sits 0.99 feet below its 440.0 ft full-pool reference. Over the past two years the daily record ranges from 438.87 ft (October 30, 2024) to 441.26 ft (June 13, 2025) - a band of 2.39 feet. The highest reading in the full record is 442.00 ft on May 11, 2015.

Storage above the full-pool reference is flood control space, not supply. A reservoir reading at or near 100% of its conservation capacity is being operated normally - it is not a surplus, and the operator may release water to hold that space.

Lake Athens storage in context

Lake Athens water level, past 12 months

94.0% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 93.7% (September 2, 2026) to 100.0% (July 17, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 29,503-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above.

Lake Athens elevation, full record

94.0% full at the latest reading - across the storage record since October 2, 1985 it ranged from 70.6% (November 19, 2011) to 100.0% (July 17, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 29,503-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above. Every percentage here is measured against today's capacity basis; a reservoir's surveyed capacity changes as sediment accumulates behind the dam, so early-record percentages are indicative rather than exact.

Last 14 daily readings

Frequently asked questions

What is the water level of Lake Athens today?

As of September 8, 2026, Lake Athens's surface elevation is 439.01 feet, with 27,723 acre-feet in storage - 94.0% of the 29,503 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

How full is Lake Athens?

Lake Athens is 94.0% full as of September 8, 2026. Its storage is 102% of the September 8 average across its record since 1999. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

When was Lake Athens last full?

Lake Athens was last at or above 95% of its 29,503 acre-foot capacity basis on August 23, 2026. As of September 8, 2026 it is 94.0% full. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

Is Lake Athens rising or falling?

Lake Athens is rising: its elevation changed +0.03 feet over the week ending September 8, 2026, -0.52 ft over the past month, and -1.33 feet over the past year. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

What was Lake Athens's lowest water level on record?

Lake Athens's lowest surface elevation in the daily record since April 10, 1999 was 434.38 feet on November 19, 2011, per the daily record used by this site. As of September 8, 2026 the reservoir is 4.63 feet above that record low.

About this gauge

Lake Athens is a Texas water-supply reservoir in the Neches River basin. Water Data for Texas publishes a conservation pool elevation of 440.0 ft and a conservation capacity of 29,503 acre-feet, with daily water level and storage recorded since 1985-10-02.

Operator

Texas Water Development Board (Water Data for Texas)

Station

athens

Measurements

Daily water level and conservation storage

River

Neches River

State

Texas

Full pool reference

440.0 ft

Capacity basis

29,503 acre-feet (Water Data for Texas (TWDB) conservation capacity)

Period of record

April 10, 1999 (TWDB's period of record for this reservoir)

Status

Provisional - subject to revision by the reporting agency

Update cadence

Daily

TWDB reports conservation storage against a conservation capacity that is restated as new volumetric surveys are completed, so a percent-full figure here can change without the water level changing. TWDB's methodology page is linked in the notes below.

Download the daily CSV (date, elevation ft, storage AF) or see all data downloads.

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