Lake Tahoe water level — California
Lake Tahoe in California was last measured at 6,227.55 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 30, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.5 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.5 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 3, 2026 and Aug 30, 2026 — a 88-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/Lake Tahoe, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is held back by Lake Tahoe Dam (also recorded as Lake Tahoe) , a buttress dam — a thin upstream face braced by a row of supports behind it , standing 18 ft high and running 109 ft along its crest , built across TRUCKEE RIVER in Placer County , near TRUCKEE . It was completed in 1913 and modified in 1990E;1990S , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) , to a design credited to Private Entity.
Its recorded primary purpose is irrigation — the pool is drawn down across the growing season to serve water rights downstream, then refilled over winter .
NID records no spillway for it. The spillway opening is 0 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 120,000 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 732,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 732,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 0 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA10162 , 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 Tahoe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martis Creek-Pool | CA | 5,781.49 ft | 16 km |
| Marlette Lake | NV | — | 18 km |
| Donner Lake | CA | 5,933.71 ft | 21 km |
| Prosser C Reservoir | CA | 5,723.51 ft | 22 km |
| Boca Reservoir | CA | 5,593.97 ft | 23 km |
| Stampede Reservoir | CA | 5,922.31 ft | 32 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Tahoe?
- As of Aug 30, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 6,227.55 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Tahoe 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/Lake Tahoe, 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.