Lake Powell Water Level Today
173.9 ft below full pool, 23.1% full, and 19.6 ft lower than a year ago.
Daily reading for Oct 24
Trend and source week, month, year
Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Check it at www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html
Which Powell launch ramps are open
2 of 16 ramps are open to motorized boats today, per the National Park Service. Each ramp's minimum safe level is the park's; today's level is 3,526.1 ft.
- Bullfrog Primitive Launch RampMotorized: Open Houseboats: Open Paddle: Closed
This is a primitive ramp with a hard packed dirt surface with steel plates for launching. Park staff is continuously extending the launch area as water levels recede and will continue this operation for the foreseeable future.
- Wahweap Stateline Auxiliary Launch Rampsafe to 3515 ft · 11.1 ft above it todayMotorized: Available Houseboats: Available Paddle: Closed
Open to motorized vessels. Plate mats needed at 3524 ft to launch. Prepare all boats in the Stateline Main Ramp parking lot before accessing the auxiliary ramp.
- Bullfrog North Launch Rampsafe to 3525 ft · 1.1 ft above it todayMotorized: Launch at your own risk Houseboats: Launch at your own risk Paddle: Open
Due to the drop off at the end of the ramp traffic can access the west lane only. There is a steel plate at the bottom. Best suited to launch vessels less than 25 ft.
- Rainbow Bridge National Monumentsafe to 3548 ft · 21.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Visit at your own risk Houseboats: Visit at your own risk Paddle: Visit at your own risk
At 3548 ft docks are disconnected from land and relocated to deeper water. Bathrooms remain open to boaters. Small boats can beach to access trail. Caution is advised to avoid quicksand and unstable soils.
- Antelope Point Business Rampsafe to 3535 ft · 8.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
This ramp is not directly managed by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Limited launch available. Customers should contact Antelope Point Valet Services to inquire about their specific vessel(s), 928 645-5900 ext. 5032.
- Antelope Point Public Launch Rampsafe to 3588 ft · 61.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Launch at your own risk
Public Ramp closed to motorized vessels. Available for paddlecraft launching only.
- Bullfrog Main Launch Rampsafe to 3578 ft · 51.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Launch at your own risk
Open to all vessels when lake level is over 3578 ft. Prepare your boats at the Bullfrog Visitor Center parking lot and the Old Marina Store asphalt parking lot.
- Bullfrog Main Launch Ramp Spursafe to 3549 ft · 22.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Launch at your own risk
Ramp closed to launch/retrieval of motorized vessels. Open to paddlecraft only.
- Castle Rock Cutsafe to 3583 ft · 56.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
Navigation buoys are placed at 3590 ft.
- Halls Crossing Launch Rampsafe to 3557 ft · 30.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
Closed to all vessels.
- Hite Launch Rampsafe to 3650 ft · 123.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
Hite Launch Ramp out of water. Lake Powell does not reach Hite at this time. The road to Hite from Hwy 95 is closed.
- Stanton Creek Primitive AreaMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Launch at your own risk
Primitive rock and sand beach. Launch area is inoperable. Launch at your own risk
- UDOT Ferrysafe to 3575 ft · 48.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
The ferry is not anticipated to operate until further notice. The ferry does not operate if lake levels drop below 3575 ft. More information regarding the Lake Powell Ferry provided by UDOT.
- UDOT Launch Rampssafe to 3575 ft · 48.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Closed
Ramps closed to private launching.
- Wahweap Main Launch Rampsafe to 3545 ft · 18.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Launch at your own risk
Ramp closed to launch/retrieval of motorized vessels. Open to paddlecraft only.
- Wahweap Stateline Launch Rampsafe to 3567 ft · 40.9 ft below it todayMotorized: Closed Houseboats: Closed Paddle: Launch at your own risk
Ramp closed to launch/retrieval of motorized vessels. Drive halfway down the ramp to access the Stateline Auxiliary Ramp. Open to paddlecraft only.
Source: National Park Service, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, checked Oct 26, 5:11 PM MDT. The park updates its page as the lake changes; check it before you tow.
Lake Powell, Utah and Arizona. Run by USBR.
Lake Powell level
Daily level, past 12 months, feet above sea level (NGVD29). Shaded: the normal range, the middle half of readings for each date, 1991 to 2025. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Monthly average since Dec 28, 1963; gaps where the record is missing. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
About Lake Powell today
How full is Lake Powell?23.1% full, 173.9 ft below full pool
23.1% full by storage on Oct 24. RISE live storage / live capacity at elevation 3,700 ft (24,322,000 af, Reclamation Glen Canyon Dam quick facts). Reclamation's own monthly text reports about 1 point higher ("22 percent of live capacity" for 5.14 maf); the quick-facts capacity likely predates the 2022 sediment survey.
Full pool is 3,700.00 ft.
How low is Lake Powell?23.9 ft above its lowest since 1966
173.9 ft below full pool. The lowest daily level in our record since 1966 is 3,502.23 ft, on May 22, 1967. Our record starts Dec 28, 1963; the first 3 years are left out of the record low because the lake was still filling for the first time.
Has Lake Powell risen?Yes: up 5.79 ft this week
| Change | Feet | Level then |
|---|---|---|
| Past day (since Oct 23) | 1.10 up | 3,525.00 |
| Past 7 days (since Oct 17) | 5.79 up | 3,520.31 |
| Past 30 days (since Sep 24) | 8.33 up | 3,517.77 |
| Past year (since Oct 24, 2025) | 19.55 down | 3,545.65 |
Why is Lake Powell low?Low inflow after a dry year
Runoff into Lake Powell was a small fraction of average in 2026, and Interior ran its Drought Response Operations Plan in response to historically dry conditions.
“The observed 2026 April through July unregulated inflow for Lake Powell is 1.14 maf or 18% of average.”
Source: Bureau of Reclamation, October 2026 24-Month Study, Oct 15, 2026; the operator's statement.
Normal for Oct 24 is 3,620.04 ft: the median of 245 daily readings within 3 days of this date, 1991 to 2025. Lake Powell is 93.9 ft below it.
Will Lake Powell be full again?Not in Reclamation's projections through Sep 30, 2028
Reclamation's October 2026 24-Month Study (published Oct 15, 2026) projects Lake Powell at about 3,541 ft by Sep 30, 2027 in its most probable case; full pool is 3,700 ft and the highest projection is 3,618 ft.
| Scenario | Sep 30 | Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Most probable, 6 maf Powell release | 3,540.65 | 3,546.58 |
| Most probable, 7 maf Powell release | 3,525.48 | 3,546.90 |
| Minimum probable (dry) | 3,497.03 | 3,501.61 |
| Maximum probable (wet) | 3,606.39 | 3,608.21 |
End-of-month elevations, feet. Source: Bureau of Reclamation 24-Month Study. Projections, not forecasts we make.
What does today's level mean for Lake Powell?16.1 ft above the 3,510 ft line: operating buffer Reclamation first seeks to hold
| Elevation | What it is | Today |
|---|---|---|
| 3,510 ft | Operating buffer Reclamation first seeks to hold · 2027–2028 · Interior, 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines, Section 5.1 | 16.1 ft above |
| 3,500 ft | Minimum elevation operations are designed to protect · 2027–2028 · Interior, 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines, Section 5.1 | 26.1 ft above |
| 3,490 ft | Minimum power pool (river outlet works only below) · 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines · Interior, 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines, Section 5.1 | 36.1 ft above |
Elevations and their meaning are quoted from the operator's documents.
Are Lake Powell launch ramps open?2 of 16 open to motorized boats
Bullfrog Primitive Launch Ramp, Wahweap Stateline Auxiliary Launch Ramp are open to motorized launching, per the National Park Service. Every ramp and its minimum safe level.
What is the water temperature at Lake Powell?No official reading for this lake
No USGS in-lake water-temperature gauge found within the lake area (checked 2026-10-24). Stream gauges above or below the dam were not used: tailwater and inflow temperatures differ from the lake surface.
When was Lake Powell last full?Jul 28, 1986
The last day in our record at or above 3,700.00 ft, today's full pool.
Lake Powell full pool level3,700.00 ft
Elevations are feet above sea level (NGVD29).
Where it comes from: Hardcoded per plan: 3,700 ft full pool (Bureau of Reclamation).
Lake Powell this time last year3,545.7 ft on Oct 24, 2025
19.6 ft lower than a year ago.
Levels: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, daily reading for Oct 24. Normal and records come from Creek & Lake's stored daily history (22,947 days since 1963); they aren't official unless the operator publishes the same value.