Pilot Butte Reservoir water level

Name: Pilot Butte Reservoir water level (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)
Creator: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
License: https://www.usbr.gov/main/disclaim.html

Reservoir, Wyoming, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Surface elevation

5,453.63ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 7 days

Measured Oct 17, 2026 (35 hours ago)

Water stored: 28,201 acre‑ft

History

What this means

Pilot Butte Reservoir is above normal at 5,453.63 ft.

The median for mid-October is 5,452.72 ft, based on 36 years of readings, so the lake level is 0.91 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 5,453.68 ft, a difference of −0.05 ft.

It has dropped 0.07 ft over the past week. In the last month it has stayed between 5,447.30 ft and 5,453.70 ft.

Many reservoirs are drawn down through summer and fall; most of the refill comes later, with winter rain or spring snowmelt.

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5,452.72 ft0.91 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5,425.65 ft – 5,454.02 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 5,453.68 ft−0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5,447.30 ft – 5,453.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5,447.30 ft – 5,455.68 ft

On the water at Pilot Butte Reservoir

With the level a bit above normal, expect a shoreline slightly higher up than usual and the odd floating branch.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 62° 34° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 63° 35° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 67° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 65° 49° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 68° 50° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 68° 43° 0.13 in, 48% Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 50° 40° 0.20 in, 48% Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 51%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wind River near KinnearRiver gauge, Wind River	4.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	4.5 mi
Bull Lake ReservoirReservoir	5,775.81 ft	Normal		15 mi
Sf L Wind River above Washakie Reservoir, near Fort WashakieRiver gauge, Sf L Wind River	98.2 cfs	Very high	−9.8 cfs	22 mi
Bull Lake Creek above Bull LakeRiver gauge, Bull Lake Creek	308 cfs	Very high	−41.0 cfs	23 mi
Wind River at RivertonRiver gauge, Wind River	4.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	23 mi
Little Wind River near RivertonRiver gauge, Little Wind River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	24 mi
Muddy Creek near ShoshoniRiver gauge, Muddy Creek	9.0 cfs	Normal	±0	25 mi
Fivemile Creek near ShoshoniRiver gauge, Fivemile Creek	109 cfs	Normal	±0	27 mi

Questions and answers

Is Pilot Butte Reservoir higher than last year?

No, it is 0.05 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5,453.68 ft.

What is a normal level for Pilot Butte Reservoir in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5,452.72 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5,425.65 ft and 5,454.02 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Pilot Butte Reservoir really 5,453.63 ft deep?

No. 5,453.63 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

What is the water level of Pilot Butte Reservoir today?

On Oct 17, 2026, the surface elevation was 5,453.63 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Pilot Butte Reservoir rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Pilot Butte Reservoir normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation publishes a new reading once a day. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Station code: usbr:435 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.20000, -108.75000 (WGS84)
Update interval: once a day
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Surface elevation	5,453.63 ft	2026-10-17 06:00	Provisional
Water stored	28,201 acre‑ft	2026-10-17 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Pilot Butte Reservoir (usbr:435). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wyoming/pilot-butte-reservoir

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer