Yale Reservoir near Cougar water level

Name: Yale Reservoir near Cougar water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Reservoir, Yale Reservoir, Washington, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Surface elevation

473.00ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 AM PDT (21 min ago)

History

What this means

The lake level at Yale Reservoir near Cougar reads 473.00 ft, about where it usually sits at this time of year.

That puts it 2.00 ft below the median of 475.00 ft for mid-October, based on 7 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 470.08 ft (+2.92 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 471.19 ft – 473.00 ft.

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

Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 475.00 ft2.00 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 470.69 ft – 478.00 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 470.08 ft+2.92 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 471.19 ft – 473.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 465.00 ft – 479.52 ft

Boating and fishing at Yale Reservoir near Cougar

A lake in its usual range is what most ramps, docks and swimming areas are built for.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in.

19 Mon 64° 49° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 74° 53° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 77° 50° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 67° 46° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 59° 41° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 69° 42° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 73° 45° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Speelyai Creek near CougarRiver gauge, Speelyai Creek	1.4 cfs	Very low	−0.1 cfs	2.5 mi
Lake Merwin near ChelatchieLake, Lake Merwin	229.00 ft	Very low	±0	5.5 mi
Canyon Creek near AmboyRiver gauge, Canyon Creek	23.4 cfs	Low	−1.3 cfs	6 mi
Swift Reservoir 3.2 Mi East of Dam near CougarReservoir, Swift Reservoir 3.2 Mi East of Dam	958.00 ft	Normal	−1.00 ft	9 mi
Lewis River at ArielRiver gauge, Lewis River	2.45 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	13 mi
Muddy River below Clear Creek near CougarRiver gauge, Muddy River	13.76 ft	Very low	±0	15 mi
East Fork Lewis River near HeissonRiver gauge, East Fork Lewis River	10.07 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	15 mi
Lewis River above Muddy River near CougarRiver gauge, Lewis River	161 cfs	Very low	±0	16 mi

Questions and answers

How does Yale Reservoir near Cougar compare with last year?

It is 2.92 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 470.08 ft.

What is a normal level for Yale Reservoir near Cougar in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 475.00 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 470.69 ft and 478.00 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Yale Reservoir near Cougar really 473.00 ft deep?

No. 473.00 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 Yale Reservoir near Cougar today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 AM PDT, the surface elevation was 473.00 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Yale Reservoir near Cougar rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.77 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Yale Reservoir near Cougar normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14218480 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.03261, -122.31287 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Surface elevation	473.00 ft	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Yale Reservoir near Cougar (usgs:14218480). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/yale-reservoir-near-cougar

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