6947.66 ft NGVD29
level Reading is typical for mid-August.
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 10342900) and updates live when you load this page.
Independence Lake through the year
The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 1988–2026. The summer drawdown — and how this year sits in it — shows up without reading a single number.
This year vs the years that matter
This year's trace against last year and the driest and wettest years on record — the drought-context question every lake regular asks.
- 2026 (this year)
- 2025 (last year)
- 2002 (wettest on record)
- 1990 (driest on record)
Full pool, datum, and the gauge
"Full pool" here means the conservation pool — the level the lake is designed to hold for water supply and recreation, not the flood-control space above it. The full explainer covers flood pool and dead pool too.
| Full pool | not published by the operator |
|---|---|
| Gauge | USGS gauge 10342900 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | NGVD29 |
| Last verified | August 20, 2026 |
LakeDates reports lake level, not ramp status. Whether a given ramp or marina is usable at this level varies ramp by ramp — call the marina before you tow.
Quick answers
How full is Independence Lake right now?
Independence Lake is at 6947.66 ft (NGVD29) as of August 19, 2026 — Reading is typical for mid-August.
Is Independence Lake full?
Truckee Meadows Water Authority / The Nature Conservancy doesn't publish a conservation-pool figure for Independence Lake, so this page shows the reading against the lake's own seasonal history instead.
What is full pool for Independence Lake?
Truckee Meadows Water Authority / The Nature Conservancy doesn't publish a single conservation-pool elevation for Independence Lake. The seasonal chart shows the range the lake actually runs instead.