Lake Kaweah Water Level

California · Kaweah River

603.69ft
Reading: Sep 11, 2026
111.31 ft below full pool
520 ft715 ft (full)
Full pool
715 ft
Vs full pool
−111.31 ft
Managed by
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Recent high
715.62 ft (2023)
Recent low
577.73 ft (2020)

Water level history

Loading water level history…
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS). Provisional data, subject to revision.

About Lake Kaweah

Lake Kaweah is a reservoir on the Kaweah River in California, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It sits at the doorstep of Sequoia National Park. Its full summer pool sits at 715 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.

Understanding Lake Kaweah's water level

"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers targets when Lake Kaweah is completely filled — 715 feet above sea level. That is the elevation Lake Kaweah 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 715 ft is normally the season rather than a shortage. Judge it against the same week last year, not against full.

Lake Kaweah 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 Kaweah, 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 Kaweah — frequently asked

What is the current water level of Lake Kaweah?

The gauge at the top of this page shows Lake Kaweah's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS).

What is full pool for Lake Kaweah?

Lake Kaweah's full summer pool is 715 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.

Who manages Lake Kaweah?

Lake Kaweah is operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Kaweah River.

Where is Lake Kaweah located?

Lake Kaweah is in California, on the Kaweah River.

Why is Lake Kaweah 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 Kaweah?

The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Lake Kaweah.

Other lakes near Lake Kaweah

See current levels for all 29 California lakes and reservoirs →

Add this gauge to your website

Run a marina, boat rental, guide service, or real-estate site on Lake Kaweah? Put this free live-level widget on your page — just copy and paste the code:

Live preview: