Lake Isabella Water Level
California · Kern River
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Water level history
About Lake Isabella
Lake Isabella is a reservoir on the Kern River in California, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 2605.5 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Lake Isabella's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers targets when Lake Isabella is completely filled — 2605.5 feet above sea level. That is the elevation Lake Isabella reaches at the top of a good runoff year, not a level it is held at. Reservoirs like this one fill from winter storms and snowmelt and are then drawn down deliberately through the dry season, so the gap between today's reading and 2605.5 ft is normally the season rather than a shortage. Judge it against the same week last year, not against full.
Lake Isabella climbs through winter and spring as storms and snowmelt come off the mountains, peaks around late spring, and falls steadily through summer and autumn as water goes downstream and flood space is reopened for the next winter. A wet winter can raise it dramatically; the low point almost always lands in autumn regardless.
The recent high and low above are drawn from the published history available for Lake Isabella, so they show how today compares over that record rather than an all-time extreme. The 12-month and 5-year chart views make the trend and the lake's usual seasonal shape easy to see.
Lake Isabella — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Lake Isabella?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Lake Isabella's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS).
What is full pool for Lake Isabella?
Lake Isabella's full summer pool is 2605.5 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Lake Isabella?
Lake Isabella is operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Kern River.
Where is Lake Isabella located?
Lake Isabella is in California, on the Kern River.
Why is Lake Isabella low right now?
Reservoir levels fall during dry spells and seasonal drawdown — when U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lowers the pool for flood storage, power, or water supply — and recover after rain and snowmelt. The history chart above shows the recent trend.
What are the record high and low levels for Lake Isabella?
The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Lake Isabella.
Other lakes near Lake Isabella
- Lake KaweahCA
- Indian Valley ReservoirCA
- Los Banos ReservoirCA
- Hensley LakeCA
- Lake McClureCA
- Lake HavasuAZ/CA
See current levels for all 29 California lakes and reservoirs →
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