Water level
Lake Buchanan water level
Lake Buchanan is at 1,019.08 ft (0.9 ft below the 1,020.0 ft full pool), about 97% full as of Sep 9, 2026. Live readings, trend, history and what the level means for swimming and boat ramps.
Recent readings
Daily values from USGS gauge 08148000.
Operating levels set by the Corps of Engineers
Reference elevations published by the SWF district for this project.
| Reference level | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Streambed | 912.0 ft |
| Top of Conservation | 1,018.0 ft |
| Top of Inactive | 937.5 ft |
| Top of Conservation | 1,020.0 ft |
| Top of Dam | 1,025.0 ft |
| Top of Inactive | 937.5 ft |
| Top of Inactive | 937.0 ft |
| Top of Induced Surcharge | 1,020.0 ft |
What this level means
Readings come from station 08148000 (LCRA Lk Buchanan nr Burnet, TX). The top of the dam sits at 1,025.0 ft. The last value stored here, 1,019.08 ft, is from 2026-09-09. That put the reservoir at 97% of its conservation capacity. Conservation capacity is 866,694 acre-feet. Full pool is 1,020.0 ft. Water level decides what is usable on the shoreline, from beach width to ramp access.
How this reading is taken
USGS gauge 08148000 measures the water surface and publishes the value continuously. This page stores the latest reading at build time and refreshes the record daily, so the figure above is a real measurement rather than a model or an estimate.
Full pool for Lake Buchanan is 1,020.0 ft, so the gap between the reading and that number is what the reservoir is missing.
Elevations are given in feet above the gauge datum used by the operating agency. Two lakes are only comparable with each other through how full they are, not through their raw elevation, because each dam sits at a different height.
Water level questions
What is the current water level at Lake Buchanan?
The latest reading is 1,019.08 ft, 0.9 ft below the 1,020.0 ft full pool, from USGS gauge 08148000.
How full is Lake Buchanan?
It was last reported at 97% of conservation capacity, holding 840,131 of 866,694 acre-feet.
What is full pool at Lake Buchanan?
Full pool is 1,020.0 ft. Water above that level is flood storage and is released as conditions allow.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these public sources.