Lake Houston Water Level Today - 42.16 ft, 98.1% Full

San Jacinto River · Texas - updated daily from official gauges

Western Reservoir Conditions·Daily·No. 92·Friday, October 23, 2026·Latest reading October 23, 2026

• Lake Houston is 98.1% full - effectively full on this site's capacity scale - as of October 23, 2026. Surface elevation 42.16 feet, storage 129,812 acre-feet (capacity basis 132,318 acre-feet), per Texas Water Development Board data.
• That elevation is 5.82 feet above its record low of 36.34 ft (September 5, 2011), in a daily record going back to July 19, 1996 (TWDB's period of record for this reservoir).
• Storage is 102% of the October 23 average across 31 years of record.
• Lake Houston is falling: elevation changed -0.27 ft over the past week, -0.15 ft over the past month, and +0.03 ft over the past year, per Texas Water Development Board data.

Lake Houston is holding near the top of its operating range at 98.1% of capacity, +0.03 ft over the past twelve months.

Lake Houston operating range

Lake Houston is operated within a narrow band rather than drawn down and refilled over years. As of October 23, 2026 it sits 1,968.84 feet below its 2,011.0 ft full-pool reference. Over the past two years the daily record ranges from 40.87 ft (March 14, 2025) to 43.38 ft (July 15, 2026) - a band of 2.51 feet. The highest reading in the full record is 52.28 ft on August 29, 2017.

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 Houston storage in context

Lake Houston water level, past 12 months

98.1% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 87.8% (April 17, 2026) to 100.0% (October 16, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 132,318-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above.

Lake Houston elevation, full record

98.1% full at the latest reading - across the storage record since April 2, 1954 it ranged from 0.0% (April 2, 1954) to 100.0% (October 16, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 132,318-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 Houston today?

As of October 23, 2026, Lake Houston's surface elevation is 42.16 feet, with 129,812 acre-feet in storage - 98.1% of the 132,318 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

How full is Lake Houston?

Lake Houston is 98.1% full as of October 23, 2026. Its storage is 102% of the October 23 average across its record since 1996. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

When was Lake Houston last full?

Lake Houston was last at or above 95% of its 132,318 acre-foot capacity basis on October 23, 2026. As of October 23, 2026 it is 98.1% full. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

Is Lake Houston rising or falling?

Lake Houston is falling: its elevation changed -0.27 feet over the week ending October 23, 2026, -0.15 ft over the past month, and +0.03 feet over the past year. Source: Water Data for Texas (TWDB) daily data.

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

Lake Houston's lowest surface elevation in the daily record since July 19, 1996 was 36.34 feet on September 5, 2011, per the daily record used by this site. As of October 23, 2026 the reservoir is 5.82 feet above that record low.

About this gauge

Lake Houston is a Texas water-supply reservoir in the San Jacinto River basin. Water Data for Texas publishes a conservation pool elevation of 2,011.0 ft and a conservation capacity of 132,318 acre-feet, with daily water level and storage recorded since 1954-04-02.

Operator

Texas Water Development Board (Water Data for Texas)

Station

houston

Measurements

Daily water level and conservation storage

River

San Jacinto River

State

Texas

Full pool reference

2,011.0 ft

Capacity basis

132,318 acre-feet (Water Data for Texas (TWDB) conservation capacity)

Period of record

July 19, 1996 (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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