905.73 ft operator datum (local)
level 1.7 ft above full pool — typical for mid-August
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 06903880) and updates live when you load this page.
Rathbun Lake through the year
The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 2000–2026. 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.
- 2008 (wettest on record)
- 2006 (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 | 904.00 ft operator datum (local) · per USACE Kansas City District full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Conservation capacity | 221,360 acre-feet · per USACE Kansas City District capacity reference |
| Gauge | USGS gauge 06903880 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | operator datum (local) — USGS 00065 at this site has gage datum 0.00 ft NAVD88, so the reading is pool elevation directly. Top of conservation 904.0 (NWK 'LOCAL' datum) - reads ~1.8 ft above conservation, sane. |
| 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 Rathbun Lake right now?
Rathbun Lake is at 905.73 ft (operator datum (local)) as of August 14, 2026 — 1.7 ft above full pool — typical for mid-August
Is Rathbun Lake full?
Yes and then some — at 905.73 ft, Rathbun Lake is 1.7 ft above its full pool of 904.00 ft (operator datum (local)), using flood storage.
What is full pool for Rathbun Lake?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Rathbun Lake is 904.00 ft operator datum (local), per USACE Kansas City District full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.