Hensley Lake-Pool water level — California
Hensley Lake-Pool in California was last measured at 546.20 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−8.1 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 100,232 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−8.1 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 23, 2026 — a 20-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USACE SPK/Hensley lake-Pool, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Hensley Lake-Pool
Hensley Lake-Pool is held back by Hidden Dam (also recorded as Hensley Lake) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 184 ft high and running 5,730 ft along its crest , built across FRESNO RIVER in Madera County , near MADERA . It was completed in 1975 , and is owned by USACE - Sacramento District (a federal owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;irrigation;recreation;hydroelectric.
It has a earth core. Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 575 ft wide.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 1,570 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 116,727 acre-ft against a normal storage of 64,298 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 106,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA10244 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USACE CWMS Data and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Hensley Lake-Pool compares nearby
4 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friant Dam | CA | 508.83 ft | 20 km |
| Eastman Lake-Pool | CA | 466.66 ft | 20 km |
| Mariposa-Pool | CA | 367.88 ft | 31 km |
| Big Dry Creek Dam | CA | 400.00 ft | 31 km |
| Owens-Pool | CA | 348.53 ft | 32 km |
| Bear-Pool | CA | 343.97 ft | 42 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Hensley Lake-Pool?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 546.20 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Hensley Lake-Pool full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USACE SPK/Hensley lake-Pool, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in California
See every lake tracked in California, or read the methodology behind these figures.