Lac Vieux Desert water level — Wisconsin
Lac Vieux Desert in Wisconsin was last measured at 1,680.47 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 2:45 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.2 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.2 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 05390100, 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 34 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lac Vieux Desert
Lac Vieux Desert is held back by Lac Vieux Desert , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 9 ft high and running 27 ft along its crest , built across Wisconsin River in Vilas County , near Eagle River . It was completed in 1907 , and is owned by Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (a public utility 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;flood risk reduction.
It is founded on soil, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. Its outlet works use tainter (radial)1.
NID classes it low hazard potential: a failure would be expected to damage little beyond the owner's own property. It is a consequence rating, not a condition rating. Its most recent condition assessment was satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 04/11/2023.
NID records a maximum storage of 49,173 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 153 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record WI01138 , filed by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — 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 Lac Vieux Desert 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anvil Lake | WI | 1,692.11 ft | 21 km |
| Cisco Lake | MI | 1,683.52 ft | 27 km |
| Lake Gogebic | MI | 1,294.73 ft | 60 km |
| Greenwood Afterbay | MI | 1,480.91 ft | 110 km |
| Greenwood Reservoir | MI | 1,512.55 ft | 110 km |
| Schweitzer Reservoir | MI | 1,336.25 ft | 120 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lac Vieux Desert?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 2:45 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 1,680.47 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lac Vieux Desert 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 05390100, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Wisconsin
See every lake tracked in Wisconsin, or read the methodology behind these figures.