Lake Mead Water Level Today - 1,038.94 ft, 26.4% Full

Hoover Dam · Colorado River · Nevada / Arizona - updated daily from official gauges

Western Reservoir Conditions·Daily·No. 45·Sunday, September 6, 2026·Latest reading September 5, 2026

• Lake Mead is 26.4% full - very low on this site's capacity scale - as of September 5, 2026. Surface elevation 1,038.94 feet, storage 6,904,890 acre-feet (capacity basis 26,120,000 acre-feet), per U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gauge data.
• That elevation is its lowest September reading since 1936, and 0.12 feet above its record low of 1,038.82 ft (September 1, 2026, the lowest since the reservoir first filled), in a daily record going back to February 2, 1935 (Reclamation's period of record for this daily series).
• Storage is 38% of the September 5 average across 92 years of record.
• Lake Mead is rising: elevation changed +0.07 ft over the past week, -1.56 ft over the past month, and -17.08 ft over the past year, per U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gauge data.

Lake Mead is within 0.12 feet of the lowest surface elevation in its daily record, set on September 1, 2026.

Boat ramps: published launch elevations vs today's level. See ramp status →

Lake Mead vs its record low

In the daily record used by this site (going back to February 2, 1935 (Reclamation's period of record for this daily series)), Lake Mead's lowest surface elevation since it first filled (first near-full reading 1941) was 1,038.82 feet on September 1, 2026, when storage was 6,896,670 acre-feet - the widely reported July 2022 low. As of September 5, 2026, Lake Mead is at 1,038.94 feet - 0.12 feet above that record. The record high in the same series was 1,225.83 ft on July 24, 1983.

Lower Basin shortage determinations are made from the projected January 1 elevation, not the daily reading. For CY 2026 a Level 1 Shortage Condition (2007 Interim Guidelines Section 2.D.1.a) plus DCP contributions govern Lake Mead operations - see Colorado River shortage tiers for the 1,075 / 1,050 / 1,025 ft thresholds and where the lake stands against each.

Reclamation's July 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study projects Lake Mead at 1,037.31 feet on December 31, 2026 - below the July 2022 record low. Published projections, with the Probable Minimum scenario and source PDFs: USBR 24-Month Study projections. More Lake Mead context: the record-low tracker · Mead vs Powell · dead pool · minimum power pool · the bathtub ring · boat ramp elevations.

Lake Mead storage in context

Lake Mead water level, past 12 months

26.4% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 26.4% (September 1, 2026) to 34.1% (March 2, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 26,120,000-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above.

Lake Mead elevation, full record

26.4% full at the latest reading - across the storage record since May 28, 1937 it ranged from 26.4% (September 1, 2026) to 114.5% (July 8, 1942). Percent full is storage against the 26,120,000-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 Lake Mead today?

As of September 5, 2026, Lake Mead's surface elevation is 1,038.94 feet, with 6,904,890 acre-feet in storage - 26.4% of the 26,120,000 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.

How full is Lake Mead?

Lake Mead is 26.4% full as of September 5, 2026. Its storage is 38% of the September 5 average across its record since 1935. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.

When was Lake Mead last full?

Lake Mead was last at or above 95% of its 26,120,000 acre-foot capacity basis on March 16, 2000. As of September 5, 2026 it is 26.4% full. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.

Is Lake Mead rising or falling?

Lake Mead is rising: its elevation changed +0.07 feet over the week ending September 5, 2026, -1.56 ft over the past month, and -17.08 feet over the past year. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.

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

Lake Mead's lowest surface elevation since it first filled (its first near-full reading in this series is from 1941) was 1,038.82 feet on September 1, 2026, per the daily record used by this site. As of September 5, 2026 the reservoir is 0.12 feet above that record low.

How close is Lake Mead to dead pool?

Dead pool at Lake Mead is elevation 895 feet - below that, water cannot pass through Hoover Dam by gravity. As of September 5, 2026, at 1,038.94 feet, Lake Mead is 143.9 feet above dead pool. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.

About this gauge

Lake Mead, formed by Hoover Dam on the Colorado River at the Nevada–Arizona border, is the largest reservoir in the United States by capacity. It supplies water to Nevada, Arizona, California, and Mexico.

Operator

Bureau of Reclamation (RISE)

Station

Daily series item 6123 (elevation), 6124 (storage)

Measurements

Hoover Dam - Reclamation daily reservoir record

Dam

Hoover Dam

River

Colorado River

State

Nevada / Arizona

Coordinates

36.0163, -114.7374 (USBR RISE location 3514)

Full pool reference

1,219.6 ft

Capacity basis

26,120,000 acre-feet (USBR Lower Colorado River Daily Report)

Period of record

February 2, 1935 (Reclamation's period of record for this daily series)

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

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