Lake Mead Water Level
Hoover Dam · Colorado River · Nevada / Arizona — updated daily from official gauges
Latest reading
- Lake Mead is 27.1% full as of — surface elevation 1,041.38 feet, storage 7,072,990 acre-feet (capacity basis 26,120,000 acre-feet).
- Water level change: -0.72 ft over the past week, -4.25 ft over the past month, and -13.25 ft over the past year.
- Its lowest daily elevation of the past two years was 1,041.38 ft on ; the highest was 1,068.52 ft on .
Lake Mead vs its July 2022 record low
In the daily Reclamation record fetched by this site (January 2020 to present), Lake Mead's lowest elevation was 1,040.58 feet on — the July 2022 low widely reported as the reservoir's lowest level since it first filled in the 1930s. As of , Lake Mead is at 1,041.38 feet — 0.80 feet above that record.
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.
Lake Mead water level, past 12 months
Daily surface elevation (feet above sea level), rendered at build time from the official gauge record. No JavaScript.
Last 14 daily readings
| Date | Elevation (ft) | Day change | Storage (AF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 23, 2026 | 1,041.38 | -0.15 ft | 7,072,990 |
| July 22, 2026 | 1,041.53 | -0.05 ft | 7,083,380 |
| July 21, 2026 | 1,041.58 | -0.15 ft | 7,086,850 |
| July 20, 2026 | 1,041.73 | -0.08 ft | 7,097,260 |
| July 19, 2026 | 1,041.81 | -0.13 ft | 7,102,820 |
| July 18, 2026 | 1,041.94 | -0.09 ft | 7,111,840 |
| July 17, 2026 | 1,042.03 | -0.07 ft | 7,118,100 |
| July 16, 2026 | 1,042.10 | -0.23 ft | 7,122,970 |
| July 15, 2026 | 1,042.33 | -0.15 ft | 7,138,970 |
| July 14, 2026 | 1,042.48 | -0.15 ft | 7,149,410 |
| July 13, 2026 | 1,042.63 | -0.14 ft | 7,159,870 |
| July 12, 2026 | 1,042.77 | -0.07 ft | 7,169,640 |
| July 11, 2026 | 1,042.84 | -0.09 ft | 7,174,520 |
| July 10, 2026 | 1,042.93 | — | 7,180,800 |
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.
Data: Bureau of Reclamation RISE API, daily reservoir elevation (item 6123) and storage (item 6124) for Lake Mead at Hoover Dam. Percent full uses the 26,120,000 acre-foot capacity printed in the USBR Lower Colorado River Daily Report. Updated 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.