Lake Tawakoni water level — Texas
Lake Tawakoni in Texas was last measured at 436.05 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 (−1.0 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 819,200 acre-ft
- 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 08017400, 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 756 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lake Tawakoni
Lake Tawakoni is held back by Iron Bridge Dam , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 85 ft high and running 29,560 ft along its crest , built across SABINE RIVER in Van Zandt County , near MINEOLA . It was completed in 1960 and modified in 1988O , and is owned by SABINE RIVER AUTHORITY OF TEXAS (a state owner) , to a design credited to FORREST AND COTTON;FORREST AND COTTON.
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 also serves water supply;recreation.
It is founded on 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 480 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)2;uncontrolled1;valve2.
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 satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 06/24/2015.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 37,879 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 1,660,023 acre-ft against a normal storage of 888,137 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 148,529 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by TCEQ.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record TX00491 , 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 Tawakoni 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Terrell City Lake | TX | 493.87 ft | 25 km |
| Lake Fork Reservoir | TX | 399.18 ft | 37 km |
| Lake Sulphur Springs | TX | 458.08 ft | 50 km |
| Lake Ray Hubbard | TX | 433.10 ft | 54 km |
| Lavon Lake | TX | 489.15 ft | 58 km |
| Jim L. Chapman Lake | TX | 436.30 ft | 65 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Tawakoni?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 2:15 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 436.05 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Tawakoni 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 08017400, 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.