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Donner Lake Water Level Today

Daily level, distance to full pool and history for Donner Lake, on the Donner Creek (Truckee River basin) in California.

Updated · Source: USGS 10338400 Provisional

Water level Provisional

5,929.80ft

msl · 7:00 AM PST, Nov 9, 2026

  • 7.10 ftbelow full pool (5,936.9 ft)
  • −0.12 ftin 24 h−0.85 ft in 7 days−3.01 ft in 30 days
5,9285,9305,9325,9345,9365,9385,9405,9285,9305,9325,9345,9365,9385,9405,9285,9305,9325,9345,9365,9385,940
  • Full pool
  • 1 yr ago

Is Donner Lake full?

No. Donner Lake is 7.10 ft below full pool (5,936.9 ft). It is 1.90 ft lower than a year ago (5,931.70 ft on Nov 9, 2025).

Donner Lake level history

Full pool 5,936.9 ft
View data table
DateLevel (ft)
Nov 9, 20265,929.80
Nov 8, 20265,929.89
Nov 7, 20265,930.01
Nov 6, 20265,930.13
Nov 5, 20265,930.27
Nov 4, 20265,930.40
Nov 3, 20265,930.52
Nov 2, 20265,930.65
Nov 1, 20265,930.81
Oct 31, 20265,930.89
Oct 30, 20265,931.00
Oct 29, 20265,931.15
Oct 28, 20265,931.31
Oct 27, 20265,931.45
Oct 26, 20265,931.61
Oct 25, 20265,931.76
Oct 24, 20265,931.90
Oct 23, 20265,932.04
Oct 22, 20265,932.18
Oct 21, 20265,932.30
Oct 20, 20265,932.43
Oct 19, 20265,932.59
Oct 18, 20265,932.64
Oct 17, 20265,932.66
Oct 16, 20265,932.68
Oct 15, 20265,932.70
Oct 14, 20265,932.72
Oct 13, 20265,932.75
Oct 12, 20265,932.77
Oct 11, 20265,932.79
Oct 10, 20265,932.81
  • Donner Lake level
  • Full pool 5,936.9 ft
  • Above full pool
Source: USGS · Daily averages since 1989

Donner Lake on Nov 9 in past years

Donner Lake water level on Nov 9 in past years
YearLevel (ft)vs todayvs full pool
2026today5,929.80—−7.10 ft
20255,931.70+1.90−5.20 ft
20245,930.09+0.29−6.81 ft
20235,931.06+1.26−5.84 ft
20225,932.29+2.49−4.61 ft
20215,928.80−1.00−8.10 ft
20205,932.68+2.88−4.22 ft
20195,927.67−2.13−9.23 ft
20185,927.51−2.29−9.39 ft
20175,928.90−0.90−8.00 ft
20165,929.42−0.38−7.48 ft

Today’s level is the lowest for this date since 2021.

Lake facts

Full pool (conservation pool)
5,936.9 ft msl
Highest since 1989
5,938.64 ftJan 2, 1997
Lowest since 1989
5,927.23 ftJan 24, 1991
Data since
Jan 5, 1989
Dam
Donner Lake Damcompleted 1927
River
Donner Creek (Truckee River basin)
Owned by
Truckee Meadows Water Authority
Dam location
Nevada County
Gauge location
39.3249, −120.2824

Dam, river and owner from the National Inventory of Dams (USACE). Records cover Jan 5, 1989 to today (daily averages).

Donner Lake map and depth

  • Dam
  • Level gauge
Shoreline © OpenStreetMap contributors · Open the full map
Average depth when full
about 11 ftcapacity ÷ surface area
Surface area
about 850 acresmeasured on the OpenStreetMap outline
Height of Donner Lake Dam
16 ftNational Inventory of Dams

The outline shows the mapped shoreline, not today’s water line: when the lake is low, the water stands back from it.

Weather on the lake

  1. Today60°FHighLow 34°FSW 0–10 mphPartly Sunny
  2. Tonight34°FLowSW 0–5 mphMostly Clear
  3. Tuesday65°FHighLow 35°FCalmSunny
  4. Wednesday66°FHighLow 35°FSE 0–5 mphSunny
  5. Thursday60°FHighLow 33°FSW 0–5 mphMostly Sunny
  6. Friday53°FHighLow 33°FSW 0–15 mphMostly Sunny then Chance Light Rain
  7. Saturday52°FHighLow 32°FSW 5–15 mphChance Light Rain

Forecast: National Weather Service for the dam area (39.32, −120.28). Wind speeds are forecasts, not measurements.

Nearby lakes

Quick answers

What is the full pool level of Donner Lake?
5,936.9 ft above mean sea level, the top of its conservation pool. Above it, water is released or flows over the spillway of Donner Lake Dam.
How much does Donner Lake need to be full?
Donner Lake needs 7.10 ft more water to reach full pool (5,936.9 ft), as of Nov 9, 2026.
How deep is Donner Lake?
Donner Lake is about 11 ft deep on average when full: 9,700 acre-ft of storage spread over about 850 acres of surface. As in most reservoirs, the deepest water is in the old river channel near Donner Lake Dam.
Is Donner Lake rising or falling?
It is falling: −0.85 ft in the last 7 days and −0.12 ft in 24 hours, to 5,929.80 ft on 7:00 AM PST, Nov 9, 2026 (US Geological Survey).
When was Donner Lake last full?
It was last at or above full pool (5,936.9 ft) on Jan 3, 1997. On Nov 9, 2026 it was 7.10 ft below.
What is the highest level in our data?
Donner Lake reached 5,938.64 ft on Jan 2, 1997. The lowest was 5,927.23 ft on Jan 24, 1991 (USGS data since 1989; older records are not in this data set).
How much has Donner Lake changed in the last year?
In the last 12 months it ranged from 5,928.04 ft (Dec 15, 2025) to 5,935.81 ft (May 26, 2026), a swing of 7.77 ft.
How often is this page updated?
This page is updated several times a day with the latest reading from US Geological Survey. The last reading is from 7:00 AM PST, Nov 9, 2026.

Where this data comes from

Reservoir gauge 10338400 of the US Geological Survey (waterdata.usgs.gov). Recent readings are provisional and may be revised. Weather from the National Weather Service. Dam details from the National Inventory of Dams.

Lake Levels Daily is an independent site, not affiliated with TWDB, LCRA, USACE, USGS, NOAA, TVA or any lake operator. Check official sources before making safety decisions.