Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam water level

Name: Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam water level (Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada)
Creator: Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada
License: https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada

Lake, Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan, Canada

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Surface elevation

555.50m Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 08:35 PM CST (60 min ago)

History

What this means

The water level at Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam reads 555.50 m, about where it usually sits at this time of year.

The median for mid-October is 555.37 m, based on 11 years of readings, so the water level is 0.13 m above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 555.08 m, a difference of +0.41 m.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 555.43 m – 555.59 m.

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 11 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 555.37 m0.13 m above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 553.21 m – 556.05 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (11 years of records)
Same day last year: 555.08 m+0.41 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 555.43 m – 555.59 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 553.92 m – 555.55 m

Boating and fishing at Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam

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

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 13° 4° – Wind 28 km/h

19 Mon 14° 3° – Wind 38 km/h

20 Tue 11° 3° – Wind 21 km/h

21 Wed 18° 4° – Wind 28 km/h

22 Thu 21° 9° – Wind 20 km/h

23 Fri 13° 2° 30 mm, 80% Wind 45 km/h

24 Sat 2° 0° 7.0 mm, 80% Wind 47 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 29 min First quarter 55%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Inverness Creek near BroderickRiver gauge, Inverness Creek	0.56 m	High	±0	25 km
Brightwater Creek near KenastonRiver gauge, Brightwater Creek	0.76 m	Low	−0.01 m	39 km
Elbow Diversion Canal at Drop StructureCanal gauge, Elbow Diversion Canal	1.29 m	Normal	±0	46 km
Ridge Creek near BridgefordRiver gauge, Ridge Creek	99.89 m	Normal	+0.02 m	51 km

Questions and answers

Is Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.41 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 555.08 m.

What is a normal level for Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 555.37 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 553.21 m and 556.05 m, based on 11 years of records.

Is Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam really 555.50 m deep?

No. 555.50 m 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 Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 08:35 PM CST, the surface elevation was 555.50 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.01 m over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 11 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada publishes a new reading every hour. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada
Station code: eccc:05HF003 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 51.28025, -106.83919 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: PRAIRIE FARM REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION DATUM
Update interval: every hour
Licence: Open Government Licence – Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Surface elevation	555.50 m	2026-10-19 02:35	Provisional

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How to cite

Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada: Lake Diefenbaker at Gardiner Dam (eccc:05HF003). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/canada/saskatchewan/lake-diefenbaker-at-gardiner-dam

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