Lake Palo Pinto water level — Texas
Lake Palo Pinto in Texas was last measured at 865.01 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 2:15 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.7 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.7 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 08090300 · USACE SWF/LPPT2, 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 461 sq mi of contributing watershed. USACE's continuous elevation record for this project begins in 2014 .
The dam behind Lake Palo Pinto
Lake Palo Pinto is held back by Lake Palo Pinto Dam , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 96 ft high and running 1,255 ft along its crest , built across PALO PINTO CREEK in Palo Pinto County , near BRAZOS . It was completed in 1964 and modified in 1974S;1996S , and is owned by CITY OF MINERAL WELLS;PALO PINTO COUNTY MWD 1 (a local government owner) , to a design credited to FREESE AND NICHOLS AND ENDRESS AND HDR;FREESE AND NICHOLS AND ENDRESS AND HDR;URS/FORREST AND COTTON, INC..
Its recorded primary purpose is water supply — delivering water to its customers comes first, so drawdown here follows demand as much as it follows rainfall .
It is founded on rock;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 550 ft wide. Its outlet works use uncontrolled1;valve1.
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 08/30/2024.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 2,661 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 186,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 44,100 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 362,299 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by TCEQ.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record TX03845 , filed by Texas — 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 Palo Pinto compares nearby
5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mineral Wells | TX | 861.65 ft | 28 km |
| Possum Kingdom Lake | TX | 995.35 ft | 29 km |
| Possum Kingdom Lake | TX | 995.35 ft | 35 km |
| Possum Kingdom Lake | TX | 995.28 ft | 36 km |
| Lake Granbury at Sh 51 | TX | 690.87 ft | 49 km |
| Leon Reservoir | TX | 1,371.38 ft | 50 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Palo Pinto?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 2:15 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 865.01 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Palo Pinto 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 08090300 · USACE SWF/LPPT2, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Texas
See every lake tracked in Texas, or read the methodology behind these figures.