Vail Lake water level — California
Vail Lake in California was last measured at 1,418.14 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 12:30 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.9 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 10,610 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.9 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026 — a 89-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: USGS site 11042510, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 320 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Vail Lake
Vail Lake is held back by Vail , a concrete arch, curved upstream so the load is carried sideways into the abutments , standing 152 ft high and running 788 ft along its crest , built across Temecula Creek in Riverside County , near Temecula . It was completed in 1949 , and is owned by Rancho California Water District (a public utility owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is water supply — delivering water to its customers comes first, so drawdown here follows demand as much as it follows rainfall . It also serves water supply;irrigation.
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 09/01/2017.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 1,078 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 51,000 acre-ft. It is regulated by DWR, Division of Safety of Dams.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA00770 , filed by California — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Vail Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Vicente Reservoir | CA | 662.06 ft | 65 km |
| Seven Oaks Dam | CA | 2,220.00 ft | 70 km |
| El Capitan Reservoir | CA | 638.84 ft | 70 km |
| Prado Dam | CA | 471.65 ft | 75 km |
| Villa Park Dam | CA | — | 81 km |
| Mojave Dam | CA | 2,989.32 ft | 97 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Vail Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 12:30 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 1,418.14 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Vail Lake 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 USGS site 11042510, 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.