746.34 ft Reclamation project datum
level 3.7 ft below full pool — on the high side for mid-August
Reading from California DWR — California Data Exchange Center (CDEC station CCH); it refreshes with each site update rather than live.
Lake Cachuma through the year
The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 2007–2026. 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 (wettest on record)
- 2016 (driest on record)
- 2025 (last year)
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 | 750.00 ft Reclamation project datum · per Bureau of Reclamation (Cachuma OMB) full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Conservation capacity | 193,305 acre-feet · per Bureau of Reclamation (Cachuma OMB) capacity reference |
| Gauge | CDEC station CCH · California DWR — California Data Exchange Center |
| Datum | Reclamation project datum |
| Last verified | August 15, 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 Lake Cachuma right now?
Lake Cachuma is at 746.34 ft (Reclamation project datum) as of August 14, 2026 — 3.7 ft below full pool — on the high side for mid-August
Is Lake Cachuma full?
Not quite — at 746.34 ft, Lake Cachuma is 3.7 ft below its full pool of 750.00 ft (Reclamation project datum).
What is full pool for Lake Cachuma?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Lake Cachuma is 750.00 ft Reclamation project datum, per Bureau of Reclamation (Cachuma OMB) full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.