Eklutna Lake near Palmer water level

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

River gauge, Eklutna Lake, Alaska, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

849.94ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 07:00 AM AKDT (4 days ago)

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

Eklutna Lake near Palmer is running far below normal at 849.94 ft.

That puts it 13.71 ft below the median of 863.65 ft for mid-October, based on 42 years of readings.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 42 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 863.65 ft13.71 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 856.23 ft – 870.11 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (42 years of records)
Highest on record: 877.68 ftSeptember 25, 1995

Floating and fishing near Eklutna Lake near Palmer

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

What happens at each level

871.00 ft: Water begins to flow over the dam spillway and into the Eklutna River
849.94 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	877.68 ft	September 25, 1995
2	875.53 ft	September 10, 1997
3	874.99 ft	September 12, 2013
4	874.51 ft	September 27, 2012
5	871.23 ft	October 1, 2013
6	871.02 ft	September 21, 2019
7	870.72 ft	August 29, 2016
8	869.70 ft	September 14, 2010
9	869.50 ft	October 10, 2020
10	869.12 ft	October 3, 2010

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 08:53 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 9 hr, 37 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Knik River near PalmerRiver gauge, Knik River	3,650 cfs	Normal	+130 cfs	7 mi
Matanuska River at PalmerRiver gauge, Matanuska River	1,770 cfs	Normal	+120 cfs	14 mi
Moose Creek near PalmerRiver gauge, Moose Creek	15.48 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	19 mi
Lake Susitna River near PalmerRiver gauge, Lake Susitna River	2.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	21 mi
Ship Creek near AnchorageRiver gauge, Ship Creek	4.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Chester Creek at Arctic Boulevard at AnchorageRiver gauge, Chester Creek	3.17 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	29 mi
Glacier Creek at Alyeska Highway at GirdwoodRiver gauge, Glacier Creek	26.54 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	31 mi
Campbell Creek near SpenardRiver gauge, Campbell Creek	18.51 ft	Below flood stage	+0.31 ft	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is a normal level for Eklutna Lake near Palmer in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 863.65 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 856.23 ft and 870.11 ft, based on 42 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Eklutna Lake near Palmer today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 07:00 AM AKDT, the water level was 849.94 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Eklutna Lake near Palmer rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Eklutna Lake near Palmer normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 42 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Eklutna Lake near Palmer?

The highest level on record is 877.68 ft on September 25, 1995.

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:15278000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 61.41029, -149.12444 (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
Water level	849.94 ft	2026-10-16 15:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/8341?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Eklutna Lake near Palmer water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Eklutna Lake near Palmer (usgs:15278000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alaska/eklutna-lake-near-palmer

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