Shasta Lake Water Level Today - 988.30 ft, 56.7% Full

Shasta Dam · Sacramento River · California - updated daily from official gauges

Western Reservoir Conditions·Daily·No. 47·Tuesday, September 8, 2026·Latest reading September 6, 2026

• Shasta Lake is 56.7% full - moderate on this site's capacity scale - as of September 6, 2026. Surface elevation 988.30 feet, storage 2,581,824 acre-feet (capacity basis 4,552,000 acre-feet), per California DWR (CDEC) gauge data.
• That elevation is its lowest September reading since 2022, and 106.06 feet above its record low of 882.24 ft (October 21, 2021), in a daily record going back to January 1, 1985 (start of CDEC's daily record).
• Storage is 101% of the September 6 average across 41 years of record.
• Shasta Lake is falling: elevation changed -2.76 ft over the past week, -16.89 ft over the past month, and -10.70 ft over the past year, per California DWR (CDEC) gauge data.

Shasta Lake has fallen 10.70 feet in twelve months, and now sits 106.06 feet above its record low.

Shasta Lake vs its record low

In the daily record used by this site (going back to January 1, 1985 (start of CDEC's daily record)), Shasta Lake's lowest surface elevation was 882.24 feet on October 21, 2021, when storage was 967,370 acre-feet. As of September 6, 2026, Shasta Lake is at 988.30 feet - 106.06 feet above that record. The record high in the same series was 1,066.48 ft on April 30, 2003.

Shasta Lake storage in context

Shasta Lake water level, past 12 months

56.7% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 55.8% (November 4, 2025) to 91.4% (May 5, 2026). Percent full is storage against the 4,552,000-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above.

Shasta Lake elevation, full record

56.7% full at the latest reading - across the storage record since January 1, 1985 it ranged from 0.5% (April 29, 1987) to 99.7% (April 30, 2003). Percent full is storage against the 4,552,000-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 Shasta Lake today?

As of September 6, 2026, Shasta Lake's surface elevation is 988.30 feet, with 2,581,824 acre-feet in storage - 56.7% of the 4,552,000 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

How full is Shasta Lake?

Shasta Lake is 56.7% full as of September 6, 2026. Its storage is 101% of the September 6 average across its record since 1985. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

When was Shasta Lake last full?

Shasta Lake was last at or above 95% of its 4,552,000 acre-foot capacity basis on May 12, 2025. As of September 6, 2026 it is 56.7% full. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

Is Shasta Lake rising or falling?

Shasta Lake is falling: its elevation changed -2.76 feet over the week ending September 6, 2026, -16.89 ft over the past month, and -10.70 feet over the past year. Source: California DWR CDEC daily gauge data.

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

Shasta Lake's lowest surface elevation in the daily record since January 1, 1985 was 882.24 feet on October 21, 2021, per the daily record used by this site. As of September 6, 2026 the reservoir is 106.06 feet above that record low.

About this gauge

Shasta Lake (Lake Shasta) on the Sacramento River is California's largest reservoir and the keystone of the federal Central Valley Project.

Operator

California Department of Water Resources (CDEC)

Station

Station SHA

Measurements

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

Dam

Shasta Dam

River

Sacramento River

State

California

Coordinates

40.7180, -122.4200 (CDEC station SHA metadata)

Full pool reference

1,067.0 ft

Capacity basis

4,552,000 acre-feet (CDEC daily reservoir storage summary)

Period of record

January 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: Lake Oroville, 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.