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Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf water level

Reservoir, Colorado, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Surface elevation

9,833.35ft Down 0.15 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
70,094 acre‑ft
9,830 9,840 9,850 9,860

History

9,8409,8509,860ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 16Oct 179,8409,8509,860ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 17
9,8309,8409,8509,860ftSep 20Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 179,8309,8409,8509,860ftSep 20Oct 3Oct 17
9,8209,8409,860ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20269,8209,8409,860ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
9,8209,8409,860ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20269,8209,8409,860ftOct 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
9,8209,8409,860ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20269,8209,8409,860ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Water is short at Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf: the latest reading of 9,833.35 ft is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 26.40 ft below the median of 9,859.75 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 9,844.57 ft (−11.22 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.15 ft over the past week. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. The 30-day range is 9,832.57 ft – 9,837.99 ft.

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

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
9,859.75 ft26.40 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
9,838.87 ft – 9,865.60 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
9,844.57 ft−11.22 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
9,832.57 ft – 9,837.99 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
9,832.57 ft – 9,848.41 ft

Boating and fishing at Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf

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.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in.

17 Sat 59° 26° – Wind 11 mph
18 Sun 60° 35° – Wind 9 mph
19 Mon 55° 33° 0.20 in, 40% Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 51° 28° 0.03 in, 25% Wind 4 mph
21 Wed 56° 34° – Wind 8 mph
22 Thu 49° 38° 0.10 in, 69% Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 51° 29° 0.01 in, 68% Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:20 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 59%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Arkansas River near LeadvilleRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.38 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 1.4 mi
Ef Arkansas River at Us Highway 24, near LeadvilleRiver gauge, Ef Arkansas River 13.0 cfs Very low ±0 3.9 mi
Mount Elbert Forebay ReservoirReservoir 9,613.55 ft Very low 10 mi
Missouri Creek near Gold ParkRiver gauge, Missouri Creek 1.1 cfs Low ±0 11 mi
Homestake Creek at Gold ParkRiver gauge, Homestake Creek 6.1 cfs Low −0.3 cfs 11 mi
Twin Lakes ReservoirReservoir 9,186.10 ft Low 12 mi
East Fork Eagle River near ClimaxRiver gauge, East Fork Eagle River 0.9 cfs Normal ±0 13 mi
Roaring Fork River above Lost Man Creek near AspenRiver gauge, Roaring Fork River 3.7 cfs High ±0 16 mi

Questions and answers

How does Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf compare with last year?

It is 11.22 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9,844.57 ft.

What is a normal level for Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 9,859.75 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9,838.87 ft and 9,865.60 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf really 9,833.35 ft deep?

No. 9,833.35 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 Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf today?

On Oct 17, 2026, the surface elevation was 9,833.35 ft. Down 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf rising or falling?

Down 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf normal?

Very low 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:498 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.25280, -106.37420 (WGS84)
Update interval
once a day
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Surface elevation 9,833.35 ft 2026-10-17 06:00 Provisional
Water stored 70,094 acre‑ft 2026-10-17 06:00 Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Turquoise Lake and Sugar Loaf (usbr:498). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/turquoise-lake-and-sugar-loaf

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