850.08 ft NGVD29
level At full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 05428000) and updates live when you load this page.
Is Lake Mendota full?
Yes — at full pool as of September 24, 2026
How full is Lake Mendota? Not as a percentage: no storage figure comes through with this gauge reading, and a share of capacity worked out from the elevation alone would be a guess — how much water a reservoir holds at a given level is a curve only the operator's own capacity table knows. Feet from full pool is what the operator publishes, and it is the figure above.
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 | 850.10 ft NGVD29 · per Dane County Land & Water Resources (Tenney Lock and Dam) full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Gauge | USGS gauge 05428000 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | NGVD29 — Full pool here is the state's 850.1 ft summer maximum order, with a 849.6 ft summer minimum below it. |
| 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 Lake Mendota today?
Lake Mendota is at 850.08 ft (NGVD29) as of September 24, 2026 — At full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons.
Is Lake Mendota full?
Yes — at 850.08 ft on September 24, 2026, Lake Mendota is at full pool (850.10 ft NGVD29).
How full is Lake Mendota?
Not as a percentage: no storage figure comes through with this gauge reading, and a share of capacity worked out from the elevation alone would be a guess — how much water a reservoir holds at a given level is a curve only the operator's own capacity table knows. Feet from full pool is what the operator publishes, and it is the figure above.
What is full pool for Lake Mendota?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Lake Mendota is 850.10 ft NGVD29, per Dane County Land & Water Resources (Tenney Lock and Dam) full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.