Lake Mead Water Level Today
191.0 ft below full pool, 26.2% full, 0.87 ft above the lowest in our record since 1938 (Oct 22, 2026), and 19.7 ft lower than a year ago.
Daily reading for Oct 25
Trend and source week, month, year
Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Check it at www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/levels.html
Which Mead launch ramps are open
5 of 9 ramps are open to motorized boats today, per the National Park Service. Each ramp's minimum safe level is the park's; today's level is 1,038.0 ft.
- Callville Baysafe to 1,065 feet · 27.0 ft below it todayMotorized: Open Houseboats: Open Paddle: Open
Open via concession managed “Mobi Mat.”
- Echo Baysafe to 1,035 feet · 3.0 ft above it todayMotorized: Open Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Open
Ramp is under going construction to extend the minimum safe elevation for the remainder of 2026.
- Hemenway Harborsafe to 1,030 feet via pipe mat · 8.0 ft above it todayMotorized: Open Houseboats: Open Paddle: Open
4 lanes available.
- South Covesafe to 1,035 feet via primitive ramp · 3.0 ft above it todayMotorized: Open Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Open
The South Cove concrete launch ramp is closed due to low water levels. A primitive ramp located .25-mi south via a park approved road is available for launching
- Temple Barsafe to 950 feet · 88.0 ft above it todayMotorized: Open Houseboats: Open Paddle: Open
Open via concession managed “Mobi Mat.”
- Boulder HarborMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
The harbor became too shallow and the ramp was closed in 2021.
- Government WashMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
The concrete ramp closed in 2001. A primitive ramp for non-motorized vessels is available for day use.
- Las Vegas BayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
Declining water levels rendered the marina inoperable, resulting in its closure and relocation to Hemenway Harbor in October 2002.
- Overton BeachMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
Due to declining water levels, portions of the marina were moved to Callville Bay Marina and Temple Bar Marina in February 2007 before the ramp closed in April 2009.
Source: National Park Service, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, checked Oct 26, 1:27 PM PDT. The park updates its page as the lake changes; check it before you tow.
Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona. Run by USBR.
Lake Mead level
Daily level, past 12 months, feet above sea level (NGVD29). Shaded: the normal range, the middle half of readings for each date, 1991 to 2025. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Monthly average since Feb 2, 1935; gaps where the record is missing. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
About Lake Mead today
How full is Lake Mead?26.2% full, 191.0 ft below full pool
26.2% full by storage on Oct 25. RISE storage / available capacity 26,120,000 af (Reclamation Lower Colorado page; capacity measured to the bottom of exclusive flood control space).
Full pool is 1,229.00 ft.
How low is Lake Mead?0.87 ft above its lowest since 1938
191.0 ft below full pool. The lowest daily level in our record since 1938 is 1,037.16 ft, on Oct 22, 2026. Our record starts Feb 2, 1935; the first 3 years are left out of the record low because the lake was still filling for the first time.
Has Lake Mead risen?Yes: up 0.79 ft this week
| Change | Feet | Level then |
|---|---|---|
| Past day (since Oct 24) | 0.32 up | 1,037.71 |
| Past 7 days (since Oct 18) | 0.79 up | 1,037.24 |
| Past 30 days (since Sep 25) | 0.11 up | 1,037.92 |
| Past year (since Oct 25, 2025) | 19.67 down | 1,057.70 |
Why is Lake Mead low?Shortage operations after a dry year
After historically dry conditions in water year 2026, Lake Mead runs under a declared shortage condition for 2027.
“a shortage condition consistent with Section 5.3.A will govern the operation of Lake Mead for calendar year (CY) 2027.”
Source: Bureau of Reclamation, October 2026 24-Month Study, Oct 15, 2026; the operator's statement.
Normal for Oct 25 is 1,116.01 ft: the median of 245 daily readings within 3 days of this date, 1991 to 2025. Lake Mead is 78.0 ft below it.
Will Lake Mead be full again?Not in Reclamation's projections through Sep 30, 2028
Reclamation's October 2026 24-Month Study (published Oct 15, 2026) projects Lake Mead at about 1,011 ft by Sep 30, 2027 in its most probable case; full pool is 1,229 ft and the highest projection is 1,081 ft.
| Scenario | Sep 30 | Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Most probable, 6 maf Powell release | 1,010.85 | 1,014.81 |
| Most probable, 7 maf Powell release | 1,025.86 | 1,014.43 |
| Minimum probable (dry) | 1,006.43 | 985.87 |
| Maximum probable (wet) | 1,032.71 | 1,081.03 |
End-of-month elevations, feet. Source: Bureau of Reclamation 24-Month Study. Projections, not forecasts we make.
What does today's level mean for Lake Mead?28.0 ft above the 1,010 ft line: consultation on further action if projected below
| Elevation | What it is | Today |
|---|---|---|
| 1,125 ft | Consultation on increasing deliveries if projected at or above · 2027–2028 · Interior, 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines, Section 5.3.A.5 | 87.0 ft below |
| 1,010 ft | Consultation on further action if projected below · 2027–2028 (Most Probable projection within 12 months) · Interior, 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines, Section 5.3.A.4 | 28.0 ft above |
| 950 ft | Minimum power pool (no hydropower below) · 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines · Interior, 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines, Section 5.3 | 88.0 ft above |
Elevations and their meaning are quoted from the operator's documents.
Not current lines: the 1,075, 1,050 and 1,025 ft shortage tiers come from the 2007 Interim Guidelines, through calendar year 2026 (2027–2028 use a flat 1.25 maf shortage instead) (Reclamation, 2007 Interim Guidelines Record of Decision, Section 2.D.1).
Are Lake Mead launch ramps open?5 of 9 open to motorized boats
Callville Bay, Echo Bay, Hemenway Harbor, South Cove, Temple Bar are open to motorized launching, per the National Park Service. Every ramp and its minimum safe level.
What is the water temperature at Lake Mead?No official reading for this lake
No USGS in-lake water-temperature gauge found within the lake area (checked 2026-10-24). Stream gauges above or below the dam were not used: tailwater and inflow temperatures differ from the lake surface. Checked 2026-10-26: no in-lake USGS gauge and no daily temperature item for Lake Mead in Reclamation RISE (only intermittent water-quality items).
When was Lake Mead last full?It never reached full pool (1,229 ft) in our record
The closest it came was 1,225.83 ft on July 24, 1983, 3.17 ft short of full pool. Our record starts Feb 2, 1935.
Lake Mead full pool level1,229.00 ft
Elevations are feet above sea level (NGVD29).
Where it comes from: Hardcoded per plan: 1,229 ft full pool (Bureau of Reclamation; also the elevation field on RISE location 3514).
Lake Mead this time last year1,057.7 ft on Oct 25, 2025
19.7 ft lower than a year ago.
Levels: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, daily reading for Oct 25. Normal and records come from Creek & Lake's stored daily history (33,504 days since 1935); they aren't official unless the operator publishes the same value.