Houston County Lake Water Level Today - 259.37 ft, 95.3% Full

Trinity River · Texas - updated daily from official gauges

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

• Houston County Lake is 95.3% full - effectively full on this site's capacity scale - as of September 8, 2026. Surface elevation 259.37 feet, storage 16,308 acre-feet (capacity basis 17,113 acre-feet), per Texas Water Development Board data.
• That elevation is its lowest September reading since 2023, and 3.57 feet above its record low of 255.80 ft (November 19, 2011), in a daily record going back to May 12, 1999 (TWDB's period of record for this reservoir).
• Storage is 101% of the September 8 average across 28 years of record.
• Houston County Lake is rising: elevation changed +0.04 ft over the past week, -0.37 ft over the past month, and -0.74 ft over the past year, per Texas Water Development Board data.

Houston County Lake is holding near the top of its operating range at 95.3% of capacity, -0.74 ft over the past twelve months.

Houston County Lake operating range

Houston County Lake is operated within a narrow band rather than drawn down and refilled over years. As of September 8, 2026 it sits 0.63 feet below its 260.0 ft full-pool reference. Over the past two years the daily record ranges from 259.31 ft (September 2, 2026) to 262.41 ft (June 13, 2025) - a band of 3.10 feet. The highest reading in the full record is 264.55 ft on June 9, 2001.

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.

Houston County Lake storage in context

Houston County Lake water level, past 12 months

95.3% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 94.9% (September 2, 2026) to 100.0% (July 22, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 17,113-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above.

Houston County Lake elevation, full record

95.3% full at the latest reading - across the storage record since May 12, 1999 it ranged from 70.6% (November 19, 2011) to 100.0% (July 22, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 17,113-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 Houston County Lake today?

As of September 8, 2026, Houston County Lake's surface elevation is 259.37 feet, with 16,308 acre-feet in storage - 95.3% of the 17,113 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

How full is Houston County Lake?

Houston County Lake is 95.3% full as of September 8, 2026. Its storage is 101% of the September 8 average across its record since 1999. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

When was Houston County Lake last full?

Houston County Lake was last at or above 95% of its 17,113 acre-foot capacity basis on September 8, 2026. As of September 8, 2026 it is 95.3% full. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

Is Houston County Lake rising or falling?

Houston County Lake is rising: its elevation changed +0.04 feet over the week ending September 8, 2026, -0.37 ft over the past month, and -0.74 feet over the past year. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

What was Houston County Lake's lowest water level on record?

Houston County Lake's lowest surface elevation in the daily record since May 12, 1999 was 255.80 feet on November 19, 2011, per the daily record used by this site. As of September 8, 2026 the reservoir is 3.57 feet above that record low.

About this gauge

Houston County Lake is a Texas water-supply reservoir in the Trinity River basin. Water Data for Texas publishes a conservation pool elevation of 260.0 ft and a conservation capacity of 17,113 acre-feet, with daily water level and storage recorded since 1999-05-12.

Operator

Texas Water Development Board (Water Data for Texas)

Station

houston-county

Measurements

Daily water level and conservation storage

River

Trinity River

State

Texas

Full pool reference

260.0 ft

Capacity basis

17,113 acre-feet (Water Data for Texas (TWDB) conservation capacity)

Period of record

May 12, 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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