Lake Oroville Water Level Today - 781.43 ft, 55.6% Full

Oroville Dam · Feather River · California - updated daily from official gauges

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

• Lake Oroville is 55.6% full - moderate on this site's capacity scale - as of September 5, 2026. Surface elevation 781.43 feet, storage 1,903,570 acre-feet (capacity basis 3,424,753 acre-feet), per California DWR (CDEC) gauge data.
• That elevation is 152.80 feet above its record low of 628.63 ft (September 30, 2021), in a daily record going back to October 1, 1985 (start of CDEC's daily record).
• Storage is 96% of the September 5 average across 40 years of record.
• Lake Oroville is falling: elevation changed -9.96 ft over the past week, -44.30 ft over the past month, and -33.71 ft over the past year, per California DWR (CDEC) gauge data.

Lake Oroville has fallen 33.71 feet in twelve months, and now sits 152.80 feet above its record low.

Lake Oroville vs its record low

In the daily record used by this site (going back to October 1, 1985 (start of CDEC's daily record)), Lake Oroville's lowest surface elevation was 628.63 feet on September 30, 2021, when storage was 787,578 acre-feet. As of September 5, 2026, Lake Oroville is at 781.43 feet - 152.80 feet above that record. The record high in the same series was 902.57 ft on February 11, 2017.

Lake Oroville storage in context

Lake Oroville water level, past 12 months

55.6% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 50.8% (December 16, 2025) to 98.8% (May 20, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 3,424,753-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above.

Lake Oroville elevation, full record

55.6% full at the latest reading - across the storage record since October 1, 1985 it ranged from 14.3% (November 25, 1985) to 104.5% (February 11, 2017). Percent full is storage against the 3,424,753-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 Oroville today?

As of September 5, 2026, Lake Oroville's surface elevation is 781.43 feet, with 1,903,570 acre-feet in storage - 55.6% of the 3,424,753 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

How full is Lake Oroville?

Lake Oroville is 55.6% full as of September 5, 2026. Its storage is 96% of the September 5 average across its record since 1985. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

When was Lake Oroville last full?

Lake Oroville was last at or above 95% of its 3,424,753 acre-foot capacity basis on June 14, 2026. As of September 5, 2026 it is 55.6% full. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

Is Lake Oroville rising or falling?

Lake Oroville is falling: its elevation changed -9.96 feet over the week ending September 5, 2026, -44.30 ft over the past month, and -33.71 feet over the past year. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

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

Lake Oroville's lowest surface elevation in the daily record since October 1, 1985 was 628.63 feet on September 30, 2021, per the daily record used by this site. As of September 5, 2026 the reservoir is 152.80 feet above that record low.

About this gauge

Lake Oroville on the Feather River is the largest reservoir of the California State Water Project. CDEC recalculated its capacity rating curve effective July 1, 2024; storage values here use the new curve.

Operator

California Department of Water Resources (CDEC)

Station

Station ORO

Measurements

Sensor 6 (reservoir elevation), sensor 15 (storage), daily

Dam

Oroville Dam

River

Feather River

State

California

Coordinates

39.5400, -121.4930 (CDEC station ORO metadata)

Full pool reference

900.0 ft

Capacity basis

3,424,753 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, Folsom Lake, 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.