Hungry Horse Reservoir water level — Montana
Hungry Horse Reservoir in Montana was last measured at 3,550.06 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:45 AM (UTC-06:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−6.3 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−6.3 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 12362000, 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 1,654 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Hungry Horse Reservoir
Hungry Horse Reservoir is held back by Hungry Horse Dam (also recorded as Hungry Horse Reservoir) , a concrete structure , standing 564 ft high and running 2,115 ft along its crest , built across SOUTH FORK FLATHEAD RIVER in Flathead County , near HUNGRY HORSE . It was completed in 1953 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) , to a design credited to BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;irrigation;hydroelectric.
Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 25 ft wide. Its outlet works use other controlled1.
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 24,100 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 3,588,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 3,468,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 50,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record MT00565 , filed by Bureau of Reclamation — 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 Hungry Horse Reservoir compares nearby
All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Sherburne at Sherburne | MT | 4,759.68 ft | 65 km |
| Georgetown Lake | MT | 6,429.02 ft | 243 km |
| Franklin Roosevelt Lake | WA | 1,284.17 ft | 371 km |
| Osoyoos Lake | WA | 911.28 ft | 404 km |
| Bennington Lake | WA | 1,198.52 ft | 409 km |
| Lenore Lake | WA | 1,076.92 ft | 419 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Hungry Horse Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:45 AM (UTC-06:00), the pool elevation was 3,550.06 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Hungry Horse Reservoir 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 12362000, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Montana
See every lake tracked in Montana, or read the methodology behind these figures.