Level of the Lake
updated 11:15 AM CDT

What 907.97 ft means on Canyon Lake

We haven’t compiled ramp minimums for Canyon Lake yet.

If you run a ramp or marina here and know a ramp’s lowest usable level, please send it to contact@handhewn.works. The level ranges and NWS stages below still apply.

What each level means

Approximate. Based on published thresholds (ramp minimums, full pool, spillway, records), but every cove is different.

  1. Over the spillwayabove 943.00 ft

    Above 943 ft water tops the emergency spillway. It has happened once, in July 2002, when the lake peaked at 950 ft and the overflow carved Canyon Lake Gorge.

  2. In the flood pool909.00–943.00 ft

    Above conservation pool the Corps is storing floodwater; expect larger releases into the Guadalupe below the dam and closed low-lying parks.

  3. Near full903.00–909.00 ftnow · 907.97 ft

    Ramps, marinas, and coves in good shape. Conservation pool is 909 ft.

  4. Drawdown territory893.00–903.00 ft

    Shallow coves pinch off and some ramps get marginal; courtesy docks start coming out of the water.

  5. Widespread low-water impact884.00–893.00 ft

    Many ramps unusable and large flats exposed. The lake spent much of 2023–25 in this range.

  6. Near the record lowbelow 884.00 ft

    The record low is 876.96 ft (May 26, 2025), the lowest daily level since the lake gauge's record began in 1988.

NWS flood stages for the lake

NWS judges flooding on Canyon Lake by the lake’s own level at gauge SMCT2.

Major flood945.00 ftMinor flood943.00 ftFull pool909.00 ft897.00 ftnow · 907.97 ft

now = lake gauge · 11:15 AM CDT