Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland water level — Wisconsin
Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland in Wisconsin was last measured at 844.78 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 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 05429485, 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 327 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland
Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland is held back by Lake Waubesa (also recorded as Babcock Park Lock and Dam) , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 10 ft high and running 200 ft along its crest , built across YAHARA in Dane County , near MCFARLAND . It was completed in 1938 and modified in 2011O , and is owned by Dane County (a local government owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is navigation — the pool is held inside a narrow band to keep a navigable depth, so large swings are rare by design . It also serves navigation;recreation.
Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves.
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 fair: sound under normal loading, though a rare or extreme event could expose a deficiency. That assessment is dated 05/13/2020.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 5,448 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 50,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 0 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 5,000 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by WIDNR.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record WI01057 , filed by Wisconsin — 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 Waubesa at Mc Farland compares nearby
None of the 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are falling right now — this lake's movement looks specific to its own operation rather than shared regional conditions.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Kegonsa at Barber Drive | WI | 843.29 ft | 6 km |
| Lake Monona at Madison | WI | 845.03 ft | 10 km |
| Lake Mendota at Madison | WI | 849.96 ft | 11 km |
| Lake Koshkonong | WI | 776.57 ft | 34 km |
| North Lake | WI | 907.09 ft | 63 km |
| Geneva Lake at Lake Geneva | WI | 864.35 ft | 85 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 844.78 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland 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 05429485, 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.