1308.28 ft NGVD29
level 0.1 ft above full pool — typical for mid-August
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 03013946) and updates live when you load this page.
Chautauqua 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.
- 2018 (wettest on record)
- 1999 (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 | 1308.20 ft NGVD29 · per Warner Dam, Jamestown (county/BPU); USGS gauge full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Gauge | USGS gauge 03013946 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | NGVD29 — 62614 NGVD29. Warner Dam operating guideline: optimum 1308.2 ft msl May-Oct recreation season, ~1307 winter. |
| 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 Chautauqua Lake right now?
Chautauqua Lake is at 1308.28 ft (NGVD29) as of August 14, 2026 — 0.1 ft above full pool — typical for mid-August
Is Chautauqua Lake full?
Yes and then some — at 1308.28 ft, Chautauqua Lake is 0.1 ft above its full pool of 1308.20 ft (NGVD29), using flood storage.
What is full pool for Chautauqua Lake?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Chautauqua Lake is 1308.20 ft NGVD29, per Warner Dam, Jamestown (county/BPU); USGS gauge full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.