California · Bureau of Reclamation (Whiskeytown NRA)

Whiskeytown Lake water level

Today's reading against full pool and Whiskeytown Lake's own seasonal history.

FULL POOL 1206 1208 1210
Elevation, feet (Reclamation project datum)

as of August 14, 2026

1209.10 ft Reclamation project datum

level 0.9 ft below full pool — typical for mid-August

Reading from California DWR — California Data Exchange Center (CDEC station WHI); it refreshes with each site update rather than live.


Whiskeytown Lake through the year

The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 1985–2026. The summer drawdown — and how this year sits in it — shows up without reading a single number.

full pool 1195 1200 1205 1210 JFMAMJJASOND
Median and normal range by day of year, 1985–2026 · elevation, feet (Reclamation project datum)

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.

full pool 1180 1190 1200 1210 JFMAMJJASOND
  • 2024 (wettest on record)
  • 1991 (driest on record)
  • 2025 (last year)
  • 2026 (this 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 1210.00 ft Reclamation project datum · per Bureau of Reclamation (Whiskeytown NRA) full-pool reference
Conservation capacity 241,100 acre-feet · per Bureau of Reclamation (Whiskeytown NRA) capacity reference
Gauge CDEC station WHI · 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 Whiskeytown Lake right now?

Whiskeytown Lake is at 1209.10 ft (Reclamation project datum) as of August 14, 2026 — 0.9 ft below full pool — typical for mid-August

Is Whiskeytown Lake full?

Not quite — at 1209.10 ft, Whiskeytown Lake is 0.9 ft below its full pool of 1210.00 ft (Reclamation project datum).

What is full pool for Whiskeytown Lake?

Full pool (the conservation pool) for Whiskeytown Lake is 1210.00 ft Reclamation project datum, per Bureau of Reclamation (Whiskeytown NRA) full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.