Lake Oahe Water Level
South Dakota & North Dakota · Missouri River
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Water level history
About Lake Oahe
Lake Oahe is a reservoir on the Missouri River in South Dakota & North Dakota, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It stretches nearly 230 miles from Pierre to Bismarck. Its full summer pool sits at 1620 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Lake Oahe's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers targets when Lake Oahe is completely filled — 1620 feet above sea level. Above that line the Corps deliberately keeps empty "flood storage" to absorb heavy rain, so the lake rarely sits far above 1620 ft for long. A reading a few feet under full is usually just the normal operating band rather than a sign of drought.
In a typical year the Corps keeps Lake Oahe lower over winter for flood storage and lets it fill for the summer recreation season. Levels can jump several feet after a single big storm and are drawn down again once the high water passes.
The recent high and low above are drawn from the published history available for Lake Oahe, 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 Oahe — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Lake Oahe?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Lake Oahe's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS).
What is full pool for Lake Oahe?
Lake Oahe's full summer pool is 1620 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Lake Oahe?
Lake Oahe is operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Missouri River.
Where is Lake Oahe located?
Lake Oahe is in South Dakota & North Dakota, on the Missouri River.
Why is Lake Oahe 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 Oahe?
The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Lake Oahe.
Other lakes near Lake Oahe
- Lake SakakaweaND
- Flaming Gorge ReservoirUT/WY
- Lake AllatoonaGA
- Lake Altus-LugertOK
- Amistad ReservoirTX
- Arcadia LakeOK
See current levels for all 1 South Dakota lakes and reservoirs →
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