Upper Klamath Lake water level — Oregon
Upper Klamath Lake in Oregon was last measured at 4,141.28 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 12:30 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−1.0 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−1.0 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 11507001, 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 3,810 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Upper Klamath Lake
Upper Klamath Lake is held back by Link River Diversion Dam (also recorded as Upper Klamath Lake) , a concrete structure , standing 22 ft high and running 435 ft along its crest , built across KLAMATH RIVER, LINK RIVER in Klamath County , near KLAMATH FALLS . It was completed in 1921 and modified in 1952 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is hydroelectric — releases follow generation schedules, so the level can move on a daily cycle that has nothing to do with drought . It also serves hydroelectric;irrigation;recreation.
Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 252 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)23.
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 85,000 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 735,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 735,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 12,500 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record OR00557 , 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 Upper Klamath 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crater Lake | OR | 6,166.30 ft | 84 km |
| Lost Creek Lake | OR | 1,795.11 ft | 85 km |
| Diamond Lake | OR | 5,183.95 ft | 108 km |
| Applegate Lake | OR | 1,912.97 ft | 109 km |
| Lemolo Lake | OR | 4,146.77 ft | 123 km |
| Galesville Reservoir | OR | 1,826.40 ft | 130 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Upper Klamath Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 12:30 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 4,141.28 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Upper Klamath 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 11507001, 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.