Folsom Lake Water Level Today - 410.08 ft, 46.1% Full

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

Western Reservoir Conditions·Daily·No. 47·Tuesday, September 8, 2026·Latest reading September 7, 2026

• Folsom Lake is 46.1% full - low on this site's capacity scale - as of September 7, 2026. Surface elevation 410.08 feet, storage 450,413 acre-feet (capacity basis 977,000 acre-feet), per California DWR (CDEC) gauge data.
• That elevation is 62.92 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 89% of the September 7 average across 40 years of record.
• Folsom Lake is falling: elevation changed -1.70 ft over the past week, -17.09 ft over the past month, and -2.62 ft over the past year, per California DWR (CDEC) gauge data.

Folsom Lake has fallen 2.62 feet in twelve months, and now sits 62.92 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 September 7, 2026, Folsom Lake is at 410.08 feet - 62.92 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

46.1% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 42.3% (November 12, 2025) 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

46.1% 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 September 7, 2026, Folsom Lake's surface elevation is 410.08 feet, with 450,413 acre-feet in storage - 46.1% of the 977,000 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

How full is Folsom Lake?

Folsom Lake is 46.1% full as of September 7, 2026. Its storage is 89% of the September 7 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 September 7, 2026 it is 46.1% full. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

Is Folsom Lake rising or falling?

Folsom Lake is falling: its elevation changed -1.70 feet over the week ending September 7, 2026, -17.09 ft over the past month, and -2.62 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 September 7, 2026 the reservoir is 62.92 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.

Other reservoirs tracked

California: Shasta Lake, Lake Oroville, Lake Berryessa, New Melones Lake, Trinity Lake, Don Pedro Reservoir, San Luis Reservoir.
Also: Lake Mead, Lake Powell, Lake Mohave, Lake Havasu, Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Blue Mesa Reservoir, Navajo Reservoir, Lake Travis, Lake Buchanan, Canyon Lake, Amistad Reservoir, Falcon Lake, Elephant Butte Reservoir.