Grapevine Lake Water Level
Grapevine Lake is at 533.35 ft today (Oct 6), 1.65 ft below its 535 ft full pool, up 1.06 ft this week.
Texas · Denton Creek
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Water level history
About Grapevine Lake
Grapevine Lake is a reservoir on the Denton Creek in Texas, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 535 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Grapevine Lake's water level
Grapevine Lake sits on Denton Creek 2.7 miles northeast of the city of Grapevine, and its level is really two stories. Up to 535 feet it is a water supply pool, split by contract among Dallas (85,000 acre-feet), the Dallas County Park Cities district serving Highland Park and University Park (50,000), and the city of Grapevine (26,250, most of it storage originally set aside for navigation and lent to the city in 1981). Above 535 feet it is flood storage. The Corps of Engineers holds that water back and meters it out through a single 13 foot conduit, which is why the lake can sit high for weeks after a wet spring. Releases are kept low enough to protect Denton Creek below the dam, where damage starts around 2,000 cubic feet per second, and the Elm Fork of the Trinity at Carrollton, with a control discharge of 7,000. The top of the flood pool is 560 feet, which is also the crest of a 500 foot wide uncontrolled concrete spillway. Once the lake passes that line, water leaves on its own.
The lake has crossed that line more than once. The highest level on record is 563.50 feet on 1 November 1981, a flood that led the Corps to allow the outlet gates to open fully between 555 and 560 feet to pull the lake down faster. In May 1990 it reached about 562.9 feet. The most dramatic swing came in 2015. On New Year's Day the lake stood near 522.4 feet, about 13 feet below full. Record May rains filled it past the spillway crest by 31 May, and after rain from Tropical Depression Bill it peaked near 563 feet on 20 June, a rise of some forty feet in under six months. It stayed above 560 into early July and did not settle back near conservation pool until mid September. Coppell, Flower Mound, Grapevine and Lewisville all signed disaster declarations, and TxDOT closed FM 2499 between Grapevine and Flower Mound.
Most of the shoreline is urban, and much of it floods. Ramps and parks are run by the Corps, the city of Grapevine, Flower Mound and Trophy Club, and at high water the lower ramps, pavilions and picnic tables go under. In June 2015 the city warned boaters away from submerged structures they could not see, and the Vineyards campground had to cancel reservations. Katie's Woods Park keeps a separate high water ramp for these periods. At the other extreme, the lowest level in the state's daily record since 1989 is 521.78 feet, on 28 December 2006. For anglers, Texas Parks and Wildlife describes a rocky, boulder lined lake with little vegetation, flooded timber around Twin Coves, and boat houses in McPherson Slough that hold crappie. Largemouth bass are the most sought species, followed by white bass, crappie and catfish. Zebra mussels are established, so boats must be drained before leaving.
Grapevine Lake — frequently asked
What is Grapevine Lake's full pool level?
Normal full pool, the top of the conservation pool, is 535 feet above sea level (NGVD29). At that level the lake holds about 163,000 acre-feet according to the Texas Water Development Board's 2011 survey. Everything between 535 and 560 feet is flood control storage, so readings above 535 mean the Corps is holding floodwater that it will release gradually down Denton Creek.
What is the record high level at Grapevine Lake?
563.50 feet on 1 November 1981, according to the Corps of Engineers water control manual, about three and a half feet over the crest of the uncontrolled spillway. The lake has topped the 560 foot spillway crest at least twice since: in May 1990, when daily averages reached about 562.9 feet, and in June 2015, when they reached about 563.0 feet on 20 June. The gauge on this page only covers readings since 2023, so the high and low it shows are recent marks, not these records.
What happens when Grapevine Lake reaches 560 feet?
560 feet is both the top of the flood pool and the crest of the emergency spillway, a 500 foot wide concrete weir with no gates. Above it, water spills whether or not the Corps opens anything, adding to the outlet releases already headed down Denton Creek toward the Elm Fork of the Trinity. The dam itself tops out at 588 feet. In 2015 the lake stayed above 560 feet from 31 May into early July.
How low has Grapevine Lake been?
In the Texas Water Development Board's daily record, which begins in late 1989, the low is 521.78 feet on 28 December 2006, a little over 13 feet below full. The lake came close again at the end of 2014, at 522.32 feet on 31 December, just months before the 2015 flood filled it. The Corps's operating yield for the lake is based on the 1951 to 1957 drought, which hit while the reservoir was still filling for the first time.
Why does Grapevine Lake stay high for so long after floods?
Flood releases go through one 13 foot conduit rated at roughly 7,200 cubic feet per second, and the Corps keeps outflow within what Denton Creek and the Elm Fork at Carrollton can carry without damage. After the 2007 flood the lake took about 100 days to return to normal, and in 2015 it needed roughly three months to fall from its June peak.
Who gets water from Grapevine Lake?
Three holders split the conservation storage: Dallas with 85,000 acre-feet, the Dallas County Park Cities Municipal Utility District with 50,000, and Grapevine with 26,250. The Park Cities district helped pay for the dam, began drawing water in 1954, and still relies on releases that flow down the Elm Fork to an intake near Highway 114 and Northwest Highway before treatment at its Regal Row plant for Highland Park and University Park.
How is the fishing at Grapevine Lake?
Texas Parks and Wildlife's 2023 survey found largemouth bass are the most targeted fish, though catch rates were below the reservoir average. Anglers may keep only two largemouth under 18 inches. Spotted bass are moderately abundant with quality fish, blue catfish catch rates were high, and white bass are popular near the dam intake, where an aeration system draws them. TPWD asks for smallmouth bass stockings each year.
Flow released below Grapevine Lake
This gauge reads the water leaving the dam, which is the number to check for fishing, paddling and downstream conditions. Live flow is tracked on riverlvl.com.
Other lakes near Grapevine Lake
- Joe Pool LakeTX
- Lake GeorgetownTX
- Lavon LakeTX
- Lake Fork ReservoirTX
- Lake LewisvilleTX
- Cooper Lake (Jim Chapman Lake)TX
See current levels for all 27 Texas lakes and reservoirs →
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