849.95 ft NGVD29
level 0.1 ft below 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.
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 — 850.1 ft = state summer maximum order (summer minimum 849.6). Long dv record (1916-) is param 00065 gage height; concurrent USGS readings show gauge zero = 840.00 ft NGVD29 (62614 849.87 minus 00065 9.87). 62614 itself is uv-only from 2016. |
| 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 Lake Mendota right now?
Lake Mendota is at 849.95 ft (NGVD29) as of August 15, 2026 — 0.1 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons
Is Lake Mendota full?
Not quite — at 849.95 ft, Lake Mendota is 0.1 ft below its full pool of 850.10 ft (NGVD29).
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.