Lake Shasta & Dam water level — California
Lake Shasta & Dam in California was last measured at 991.06 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−9.2 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 2,638,027 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−9.2 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/Shasta, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
USACE's continuous storage record for this project begins in 1991 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Lake Shasta & Dam
Lake Shasta & Dam is held back by Shasta Dam (also recorded as Shasta Lake) , a concrete structure , standing 602 ft high and running 3,460 ft along its crest , built across SACRAMENTO RIVER in Shasta County , near REDDING . It was completed in 1945 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) , to a design credited to BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
Its recorded primary purpose is hydroelectric — releases follow generation schedules, so the level can move on a daily cycle that has nothing to do with drought . It also serves hydroelectric;irrigation;navigation;recreation;water supply.
Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 330 ft wide. Its outlet works use drum3.
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 30,210 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 4,661,860 acre-ft against a normal storage of 4,552,090 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 186,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA10186 , filed by Bureau of Reclamation — 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 Shasta & Dam compares nearby
All 5 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling, suggesting a regional pattern rather than an operation specific to this dam.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Butte Lake-Pool | CA | 446.33 ft | 101 km |
| Black Butte Lake | CA | — | 102 km |
| Lake Oroville & Dam | CA | 789.74 ft | 153 km |
| Applegate Lake | OR | 1,912.97 ft | 160 km |
| Upper Klamath Lake | OR | 4,141.28 ft | 178 km |
| Lake Mendocino-Pool | CA | 735.78 ft | 181 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Shasta & Dam?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 991.06 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Shasta & 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/Shasta, 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.