Lake Bistineau water level — Louisiana
Lake Bistineau in Louisiana was last measured at 135.49 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−5.4 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−5.4 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 07349250, 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 1,443 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lake Bistineau
Lake Bistineau is held back by Lake Bistineau , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 46 ft high and running 7,635 ft along its crest , built across Loggy Bayou in Bossier County , near Ringgold . It was completed in 1941 and modified in 1982;2003 , and is owned by Webster Parish Police Jury (a local government owner) , to a design credited to LA Dept of Public Works.
Its recorded primary purpose is recreation — holding a stable pool through the season is an operating goal, so a level well off normal in summer is unusual rather than routine .
It is founded on soil, with 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 1,200 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate).
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 09/09/2024.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 17,200 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 318,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 105,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 128,400 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by LA DOTD.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record LA00002 , filed by Louisiana — 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 Lake Bistineau compares nearby
1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lock and Dam #5 Upper | LA | 145.71 ft | 11 km |
| Red Lock and Dam #5 Lower | LA | 120.67 ft | 11 km |
| Red Chute | LA | 136.03 ft | 20 km |
| Wallace Lake | LA | 139.84 ft | 23 km |
| Red Chute | LA | 145.01 ft | 33 km |
| Cross Lake at Shreveport | LA | 170.26 ft | 40 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Bistineau?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 135.49 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Bistineau 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 07349250, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Louisiana
See every lake tracked in Louisiana, or read the methodology behind these figures.