Applegate Lake water level — Oregon
Applegate Lake in Oregon was last measured at 1,912.97 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−11.5 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−11.5 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 14361900, 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 223 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Applegate Lake
Applegate Lake is held back by Applegate Dam (also recorded as Applegate Reservoir) , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 242 ft high and running 1,200 ft along its crest , built across APPLEGATE RIVER in Jackson County , near APPLEGATE . It was completed in 1980 , and is owned by USACE - Portland District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CENWP.
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;other;irrigation;fish and wildlife pond;recreation.
It is founded on rock, 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 100 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 1,041 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 89,300 acre-ft against a normal storage of 82,200 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 93,800 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record OR00624 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — 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 Applegate Lake compares nearby
4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Creek Lake | OR | 1,795.11 ft | 77 km |
| Galesville Reservoir | OR | 1,826.40 ft | 88 km |
| Upper Klamath Lake | OR | 4,141.28 ft | 109 km |
| Crater Lake | OR | 6,166.30 ft | 132 km |
| Diamond Lake | OR | 5,183.95 ft | 147 km |
| Lemolo Lake | OR | 4,146.77 ft | 159 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Applegate Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 1,912.97 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Applegate 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 14361900, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Oregon
See every lake tracked in Oregon, or read the methodology behind these figures.