10.30 ft Natural lake (MN DNR) USGS gauge datum
level Reading is on the low side for late September.
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 05284000) and updates live when you load this page.
Mille Lacs Lake through the year
The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 1980–2026. 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)
- 2019 (wettest on record)
- 1988 (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 05284000 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | Natural lake (MN DNR) USGS gauge datum — The gauge reports stage, so elevations here are the stage reading plus the 1,240.70 ft gage 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
What is the lake level for Mille Lacs Lake today?
Mille Lacs Lake is at 10.30 ft (Natural lake (MN DNR) USGS gauge datum) as of September 24, 2026 — Reading is on the low side for late September.
Is Mille Lacs Lake full?
Natural lake (MN DNR); USGS gauge doesn't publish a conservation-pool figure for Mille Lacs Lake, so this page shows the reading against the lake's own seasonal history instead.
What is full pool for Mille Lacs Lake?
Natural lake (MN DNR); USGS gauge doesn't publish a single conservation-pool elevation for Mille Lacs Lake. The seasonal chart shows the range the lake actually runs instead.