Folsom Lake water level

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

Lake, California, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Surface elevation

402.89ft Down 2.19 ft over the last 7 days

Measured Oct 16, 2026 (2 days ago)

Water stored: 398,934 acre‑ft

History

What this means

Folsom Lake is at 402.89 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 3.95 ft below the median of 406.84 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 407.87 ft (−4.98 ft).

It has dropped 2.19 ft over the past week. In the last month it has stayed between 402.89 ft and 408.40 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 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 406.84 ft3.95 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 371.29 ft – 433.66 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 407.87 ft−4.98 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 402.89 ft – 408.40 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 403.20 ft – 464.40 ft

On the water at Folsom Lake

Normal levels mean few surprises on the water: ramps in use and the shoreline where you expect it.

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.

17 Sat 90° 56° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 88° 61° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 74° 52° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 70° 50° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 71° 56° 0.02 in, 37% Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 68° 55° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 74° 52° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 44%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake NatomaLake	121.90 ft	Very low		2.3 mi
American R A Fair OaksRiver gauge	1,470 cfs	Normal	−340.0 cfs	4.1 mi
Arcade Creek near Del Paso HeightsRiver gauge, Arcade Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	11 mi
Cosumnes R A Michigan BarRiver gauge	2.90 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	15 mi
Nf American R A North Fork DamRiver gauge	74.9 cfs	Normal	−8.6 cfs	19 mi
Sacramento R A VeronaRiver gauge	11.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	23 mi
Sacramento R A FreeportRiver gauge	8,880 cfs	Normal	−870.0 cfs	23 mi
Yolo Bypass near WoodlandRiver gauge, Yolo Bypass	27.6 cfs	Normal	+0.7 cfs	25 mi

Questions and answers

How does Folsom Lake compare with last year?

It is 4.98 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 407.87 ft.

What is a normal level for Folsom Lake in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 406.84 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 371.29 ft and 433.66 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Folsom Lake really 402.89 ft deep?

No. 402.89 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 Folsom Lake today?

On Oct 16, 2026, the surface elevation was 402.89 ft. Down 2.19 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Folsom Lake rising or falling?

Down 2.19 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Folsom Lake normal?

Normal 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:334 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.68300, -121.18300 (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	402.89 ft	2026-10-16 08:00	Provisional
Water stored	398,934 acre‑ft	2026-10-16 08:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Folsom Lake (usbr:334). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/folsom-lake

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