Raystown Lake Water Level

PA · Raystown Branch Juniata River

786.29ft
Reading: Jul 20, 2026
0.29 ft above full pool
761 ft786 ft (full)
Full pool
786 ft
Vs full pool
+0.29 ft
Managed by
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Recent high
Recent low

Water level history

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

About Raystown Lake

Raystown Lake is a reservoir on the Raystown Branch Juniata River in PA, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It's the largest lake located entirely within Pennsylvania. Its full summer pool sits at 786 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.

Understanding Raystown Lake's water level

"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers targets when Raystown Lake is completely filled — 786 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 786 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 normal year Raystown Lake sits highest through the summer recreation season and lower over winter, when the Corps makes room for storms. Extended dry spells in late summer and fall are what usually pull the lake noticeably below full pool.

The recent high and low above are drawn from the published history available for Raystown Lake, 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.

Raystown Lake — frequently asked

What is the current water level of Raystown Lake?

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

What is full pool for Raystown Lake?

Raystown Lake's full summer pool is 786 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.

Who manages Raystown Lake?

Raystown Lake is operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Raystown Branch Juniata River.

Where is Raystown Lake located?

Raystown Lake is in PA, on the Raystown Branch Juniata River.

Why is Raystown Lake 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 Raystown Lake?

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

Add this gauge to your website

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

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