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Elephant Butte Lake Water Level Today

Also known as Elephant Butte Reservoir

Daily level, percent full and history for Elephant Butte Lake, on the Rio Grande in New Mexico.

Updated · Source: Texas Water Development BoardTWDB

Water level

4,309.71ft

msl · Daily reading for Nov 7, 2026

  • 96.59 ftbelow full pool (4,406.3 ft)
  • 8.9%full
  • +0.91 ftin 24 h+6.80 ft in 7 days+15.19 ft in 30 days
4,2804,3004,3204,3404,3604,3804,4004,4204,4404,2804,3004,3204,3404,3604,3804,4004,4204,4404,2804,3004,3204,3404,3604,3804,4004,4204,440
  • Full pool
  • 1 yr ago

Storage 175,874 of 1,985,900 acre-ft

Is Elephant Butte Lake full?

No. Elephant Butte Lake is 8.9% full, 96.59 ft below full pool — but up from 4.6% a year ago.

Elephant Butte Lake level history

View data table
DateLevel (ft)% full
Nov 7, 20264,309.718.9%
Nov 6, 20264,308.808.5%
Nov 5, 20264,307.848.2%
Nov 4, 20264,306.967.9%
Nov 3, 20264,306.207.7%
Nov 2, 20264,305.357.4%
Nov 1, 20264,304.107.0%
Oct 31, 20264,302.916.6%
Oct 30, 20264,301.746.3%
Oct 29, 20264,300.435.9%
Oct 28, 20264,299.205.6%
Oct 27, 20264,297.985.3%
Oct 26, 20264,297.295.1%
Oct 25, 20264,297.085.0%
Oct 24, 20264,296.785.0%
Oct 23, 20264,296.725.0%
Oct 22, 20264,296.654.9%
Oct 18, 20264,296.054.8%
Oct 17, 20264,296.024.8%
Oct 16, 20264,295.994.8%
Oct 15, 20264,295.924.8%
Oct 14, 20264,295.804.7%
Oct 13, 20264,295.654.7%
Oct 12, 20264,295.494.7%
Oct 11, 20264,295.284.6%
Oct 10, 20264,295.054.6%
Oct 9, 20264,294.814.5%
Oct 8, 20264,294.524.4%
  • Elephant Butte Lake level
  • Full pool 4,406.3 ft
  • Above full pool
Source: TWDB · Daily readings since 1915

Elephant Butte Lake on Nov 7 in past years

Elephant Butte Lake water level on Nov 7 in past years
YearLevel (ft)vs today% full
2026today4,309.71—
8.9%
20254,295.29−14.42
4.6%
20244,300.72−8.99
6.0%
20234,327.81+18.10
16.8%
20224,305.22−4.49
7.3%
20214,300.63−9.08
6.0%
20204,294.91−14.80
4.5%
20194,336.29+26.58
21.7%
20184,290.16−19.55
3.5%
20174,323.45+13.74
14.6%
20164,302.03−7.68
6.4%

Today’s level is the highest for this date since 2023.

Lake facts

Full pool (conservation pool)
4,406.3 ft msl
Dead pool
4,231.50 ft msl
Conservation capacity
1,985,900 acre-ft
Surface area today
7,097 acres
Record high since 1920
4,409.19 ftJun 16, 1942
Record low since 1920
3,147.97 ftSep 9, 2026
Data since
Mar 21, 1915
Dam
Elephant Butte Damcompleted 1916
River
Rio Grande
Owned by
Bureau of Reclamation
Dam location
Sierra County
Gauge location
33.1542, −107.1911

Dam, river and owner from the National Inventory of Dams (USACE). Records start in 1920, after the first filling of the reservoir.

Rio Grande chain

UpstreamRio GrandeDownstream
  1. Elephant Butte Lake4,309.71 ft8.9% full−96.59 ft vs full poolYou are here
  2. Lake Amistad1,066.84 ft49.7% full−50.16 ft vs full pool
  3. Falcon Lake260.76 ft20.8% full−40.44 ft vs full pool

Weather on the lake

  1. Tonight43°FLowNNE 2–7 mphMostly Clear
  2. Sunday66°FHighLow 43°FNNE 2–14 mphSunny
  3. Monday66°FHighLow 44°FSW 3 mphSunny
  4. Tuesday69°FHighLow 45°FNW 0–5 mphSunny
  5. Wednesday70°FHighLow 43°FNNE 5–14 mphSunny
  6. Thursday69°FHighLow 43°FNE 2 mphSunny
  7. Friday69°FHighLow 45°FSSE 0–5 mphSunny

Forecast: National Weather Service for the dam area (33.15, −107.19). Wind speeds are forecasts, not measurements.

Quick answers

What is the full pool level of Elephant Butte Lake?
4,406.3 ft above mean sea level, the top of its conservation pool. Above it, water is released or flows over the spillway of Elephant Butte Dam.
How much does Elephant Butte Lake need to be full?
Elephant Butte Lake needs 96.59 ft more water to reach full pool (4,406.3 ft), or about 1,810,026 acre-ft of storage, as of Nov 7, 2026.
Is Elephant Butte Lake rising or falling?
It is rising: +6.80 ft in the last 7 days and +0.91 ft in 24 hours, to 4,309.71 ft on Nov 7, 2026 (Texas Water Development Board).
When was Elephant Butte Lake last full?
It was last at or above full pool (4,406.3 ft) on Mar 6, 1996. On Nov 7, 2026 it was 96.59 ft below.
What was the highest level ever recorded?
Elephant Butte Lake reached 4,409.19 ft on Jun 16, 1942. The lowest was 3,147.97 ft on Sep 9, 2026 (TWDB data since 1920).
How much has Elephant Butte Lake changed in the last year?
In the last 12 months it ranged from 3,147.97 ft (Sep 9, 2026) to 4,320.87 ft (Jan 6, 2026), a swing of 1,172.90 ft.
How often is this page updated?
This page is updated every morning with the daily reading published by the Texas Water Development Board. The last reading is from Nov 7, 2026.

Where this data comes from

Daily reservoir data from the Texas Water Development Board (Elephant Butte Lake on waterdatafortexas.org). Updated every morning. 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.