Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap water level

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

Lake, Lake Abilene, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Surface elevation

1,991.02ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

What this means

Water is short at Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap: the latest reading of 1,991.02 ft is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1,996.55 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 5.53 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 1,988.44 ft, a difference of +2.58 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1,991.02 ft – 1,991.86 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1,996.55 ft5.53 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1,988.44 ft – 2,010.20 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 1,988.44 ft+2.58 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1,991.02 ft – 1,991.86 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1,988.37 ft – 1,994.77 ft

Boating and fishing at Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap

At low levels, launching can mean a long walk or a closed ramp, and shallow points stick out further than charts suggest.

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

What happens at each level

2,024.00 ft: Elevation of Top of Dam
2,018.00 ft: Elevation of secondary Emergency Spillway. Spillway is natural earth left of the concrete spillway.
2,009.70 ft: Elevation of Emergency Spillway. Spillway is concrete near left (north) end of dam.
1,991.02 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 78° 52° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 81° 56° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 80° 61° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 79° 63° – Wind 18 mph

24 Sat 76° 59° – Wind 18 mph

25 Sun 72° 61° – Wind 17 mph

26 Mon 78° 59° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 07:02 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elm Creek at FM 89 near Buffalo GapRiver gauge, Elm Creek	5.27 ft	Very high	±0	4.2 mi
Kirby Lake at AbileneLake, Kirby Lake	1,781.23 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Cat Claw Creek at AbileneRiver gauge, Cat Claw Creek	3.53 ft	Very high	+0.12 ft	19 mi
Cedar Creek at IH 20, AbileneRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	2.87 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	20 mi
Elm Creek at AbileneRiver gauge, Elm Creek	0.1 cfs	Normal	±0	21 mi
Clear Fk Brazos River at Hwy 83 near HawleyRiver gauge, Clear Fk Brazos River	1.90 ft	Normal	−2.84 ft	26 mi
Oak Creek Reservoir near BlackwellReservoir, Oak Creek Reservoir	1,973.30 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Clear Fk Brazos River at FM 3116 near AnsonRiver gauge, Clear Fk Brazos River	6.71 ft	Very high	−0.69 ft	30 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap higher than last year?

Yes, it is 2.58 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1,988.44 ft.

What is a normal level for Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1,996.55 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1,988.44 ft and 2,010.20 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap really 1,991.02 ft deep?

No. 1,991.02 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 Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM CDT, the surface elevation was 1,991.02 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.17 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap normal?

Low 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:08083270 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.23458, -99.88898 (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	1,991.02 ft	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Abilene near Buffalo Gap (usgs:08083270). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/lake-abilene-near-buffalo-gap

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