Lake Oroville & Dam water level — California
Lake Oroville & Dam in California was last measured at 789.74 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 (−23.5 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 1,990,795 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−23.5 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 23, 2026 and Jul 13, 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/Oroville Dam, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Lake Oroville & Dam
Lake Oroville & Dam is held back by Oroville , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 770 ft high and running 6,920 ft along its crest , built across Feather River in Butte County , near Oroville . It was completed in 1968 , and is owned by California Department of Water Resources (a state owner) , to a design credited to DWR.
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;water supply.
It is founded on rock, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 140 ft wide. Its outlet works use tainter (radial)8.
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. Its most recent condition assessment was fair: sound under normal loading, though a rare or extreme event could expose a deficiency. That assessment is dated 09/29/2023.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 15,800 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 3,540,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 3,540,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 227,000 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by DWR, Safety of Dams.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA00035 , filed by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — 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 Lake Oroville & Dam compares nearby
4 of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Bullards Bar Reservoir | CA | 1,904.67 ft | 34 km |
| Englebright Lake Pool | CA | 525.74 ft | 38 km |
| Black Butte Lake-Pool | CA | 446.33 ft | 79 km |
| Black Butte Lake | CA | — | 80 km |
| Folsom Dam and Lake | CA | 412.13 ft | 98 km |
| Independence Lake | CA | 6,947.30 ft | 103 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Oroville & Dam?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 789.74 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Oroville & Dam 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/Oroville Dam, 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.