Lake Sakakawea Water Level
North Dakota · Missouri River
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Water level history
About Lake Sakakawea
Lake Sakakawea is a reservoir on the Missouri River in North Dakota, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It's the third-largest U.S. reservoir by capacity. Its full summer pool sits at 1854 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Lake Sakakawea's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers targets when Lake Sakakawea is completely filled — 1854 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 1854 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 Sakakawea 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 Sakakawea, 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 Sakakawea — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Lake Sakakawea?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Lake Sakakawea's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS).
What is full pool for Lake Sakakawea?
Lake Sakakawea's full summer pool is 1854 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Lake Sakakawea?
Lake Sakakawea is operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Missouri River.
Where is Lake Sakakawea located?
Lake Sakakawea is in North Dakota, on the Missouri River.
Why is Lake Sakakawea 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 Sakakawea?
The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Lake Sakakawea.
Other lakes near Lake Sakakawea
- Lake OaheSD/ND
- Lake AllatoonaGA
- Lake Altus-LugertOK
- Amistad ReservoirTX
- Arcadia LakeOK
- Arkabutla LakeMS
See current levels for all 2 North Dakota lakes and reservoirs →
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