Pine River Dam at Cross Lake water level — Minnesota
Pine River Dam at Cross Lake in Minnesota was last measured at 1,229.01 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (−0.0 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- →Steady
−0.0 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 7, 2026 — a 5-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 MVP/MissHW_PineRiver, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Pine River Dam at Cross Lake
Pine River Dam at Cross Lake is held back by Pine River Dam (also recorded as Pine River Reservoir; Crosslake Dam) , a concrete structure , standing 23 ft high and running 1,553 ft along its crest , built across PINE RIVER in Crow Wing County , near CROSS LAKE . It was completed in 1886 , and is owned by USACE - St. Paul District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CEMVP.
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 also serves recreation;other;navigation;fish and wildlife pond;water supply;flood risk reduction.
It is founded on soil, 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 0 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)13.
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 13,700 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 187,700 acre-ft against a normal storage of 101,340 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 16,300 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record MN00582 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — 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 Pine River Dam at Cross Lake compares nearby
All 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also steady, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gull Lake Dam | MN | 1,193.60 ft | 34 km |
| Big Sandy Lake Dam | MN | 1,216.06 ft | 61 km |
| Leech Lake Dam | MN | 1,294.14 ft | 65 km |
| Pokegama Lake | MN | 1,273.37 ft | 74 km |
| Pokegama Lake Dam | MN | 1,273.37 ft | 76 km |
| Lake Winnibigoshish Dam | MN | 1,298.06 ft | 85 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Pine River Dam at Cross Lake?
- As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 1,229.01 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Pine River Dam at Cross 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 USACE MVP/MissHW_PineRiver, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Minnesota
See every lake tracked in Minnesota, or read the methodology behind these figures.