Folsom Lake Water Level Today - 401.23 ft, 39.7% Full

Folsom Dam · American River · California - updated daily from official gauges

Western Reservoir Conditions·Daily·No. 91·Thursday, October 22, 2026·Latest reading October 21, 2026

• Folsom Lake is 39.7% full - low on this site's capacity scale - as of October 21, 2026. Surface elevation 401.23 feet, storage 387,643 acre-feet (capacity basis 977,000 acre-feet), per California DWR (CDEC) gauge data.
• That elevation is its lowest October reading since 2022, and 54.07 feet above its record low of 347.16 ft (November 3, 1988), in a daily record going back to October 1, 1985 (start of CDEC's daily record).
• Storage is 91% of the October 21 average across 41 years of record.
• Folsom Lake is falling: elevation changed -2.40 ft over the past week, -6.82 ft over the past month, and -6.07 ft over the past year, per California DWR (CDEC) gauge data.

Folsom Lake has fallen 6.07 feet in twelve months, and now sits 54.07 feet above its record low.

Folsom Lake vs its record low

In the daily record used by this site (going back to October 1, 1985 (start of CDEC's daily record)), Folsom Lake's lowest surface elevation was 347.16 feet on November 3, 1988, when storage was 171,657 acre-feet. As of October 21, 2026, Folsom Lake is at 401.23 feet - 54.07 feet above that record. The record high in the same series was 465.51 ft on June 21, 1993.

Folsom Lake storage in context

Folsom Lake water level, past 12 months

39.7% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 39.7% (October 21, 2026) to 98.2% (May 12, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 977,000-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above.

Folsom Lake elevation, full record

39.7% full at the latest reading - across the storage record since October 1, 1985 it ranged from 0.0% (September 19, 1987) to 100.3% (May 9, 1989). Percent full is storage against the 977,000-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 Folsom Lake today?

As of October 21, 2026, Folsom Lake's surface elevation is 401.23 feet, with 387,643 acre-feet in storage - 39.7% of the 977,000 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

How full is Folsom Lake?

Folsom Lake is 39.7% full as of October 21, 2026. Its storage is 91% of the October 21 average across its record since 1985. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

When was Folsom Lake last full?

Folsom Lake was last at or above 95% of its 977,000 acre-foot capacity basis on June 19, 2026. As of October 21, 2026 it is 39.7% full. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

Is Folsom Lake rising or falling?

Folsom Lake is falling: its elevation changed -2.40 feet over the week ending October 21, 2026, -6.82 ft over the past month, and -6.07 feet over the past year. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

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

Folsom Lake's lowest surface elevation in the daily record since October 1, 1985 was 347.16 feet on November 3, 1988, per the daily record used by this site. As of October 21, 2026 the reservoir is 54.07 feet above that record low.

About this gauge

Folsom Lake on the American River northeast of Sacramento is a federal Central Valley Project reservoir and the primary flood-control and water-supply reservoir for the Sacramento region.

Operator

California Department of Water Resources (CDEC)

Station

Station FOL

Measurements

Sensor 6 (reservoir elevation), sensor 15 (storage), daily

Dam

Folsom Dam

River

American River

State

California

Coordinates

38.6830, -121.1830 (CDEC station FOL metadata)

Full pool reference

466.0 ft

Capacity basis

977,000 acre-feet (CDEC daily reservoir storage summary)

Period of record

October 1, 1985 (start of CDEC's daily record)

Status

Provisional - subject to revision by the reporting agency

Update cadence

Daily

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

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