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Lake Lanier water level

Reservoir, Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Surface elevation

1,063.61ft Steady over the last 24 hours

1,050 1,063 1,075 1,088 Minor floodstage 1,085.00 ft Highest onrecord 1,077.15 ft Full pool 1,071.00 ft Lowest on record 1,050.75 ft

History

History
1,0701,080ftOct 11Oct 12Oct 14Oct 15Oct 17Minor flood stageFull pool1,0701,080ftOct 11Oct 14Oct 17Minor flood stageFull pool
1,0701,080ftSep 18Sep 25Oct 2Oct 9Oct 17Minor flood stageFull pool1,0701,080ftSep 18Oct 2Oct 17Minor flood stageFull pool
1,0701,080ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stageFull pool1,0701,080ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stageFull pool
1,0701,080ftOct 2020Apr 2022Oct 2023Apr 2025Oct 2026Minor flood stageFull pool1,0701,080ftOct 2020Oct 2023Oct 2026Minor flood stageFull pool
1,0651,070ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261,0651,070ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stageFull pool

What this means

Lake Lanier is far below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 1,063.61 ft.

The median for mid-October is 1,067.05 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 3.44 ft below typical. It is 21.39 ft below the flood stage of 1,085.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1,066.44 ft, a difference of −2.83 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1,063.59 ft and 1,064.79 ft.

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

Reservoir on the Chattahoochee River formed by Buford Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the main water supply of metro Atlanta. Full pool (top of conservation pool) is 1,071 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
1,067.05 ft3.44 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1,064.44 ft – 1,072.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year
1,066.44 ft−2.83 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1,063.59 ft – 1,064.79 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1,063.63 ft – 1,066.78 ft
Highest on record
1,077.15 ftApril 14, 1964
Lowest on record
1,050.75 ftDecember 28, 2007
Full pool
1,071.00 ft7.39 ft below full pool

On the water at Lake Lanier

A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 07:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 17 min First quarter 38%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Chattahoochee River Buford Dam near BufordRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River Buford Dam 912.14 ft Very low ±0 8 mi
Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near BufordRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River −0.56 ft Very low −1.02 ft 8 mi
Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near BufordRiver gauge, Richland Creek 0.56 ft High +0.02 ft 8 mi
Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near AuburnRiver gauge, Wheeler Creek 1.23 ft Low −0.01 ft 10 mi
Level Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Level Creek 3.57 ft High −0.02 ft 10 mi
Chattahoochee R 0.76 Mi Us McGinnis Fy SuwaneeRiver gauge 2.03 ft Very low −0.91 ft 13 mi
Apalachee River at Fence Road, near DaculaRiver gauge, Apalachee River 0.31 ft Normal −0.01 ft 13 mi
Dick Creek at Old Atlanta Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Dick Creek 6.18 ft Very high +0.09 ft 14 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Lanier higher than last year?

No, it is 2.83 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1,066.44 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 1,067.05 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1,064.44 ft and 1,072.06 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Lake Lanier really 1,063.61 ft deep?

No. 1,063.61 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 Lanier today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 01:15 AM EDT, the surface elevation was 1,063.61 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Lanier rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Lanier normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lake Lanier?

The highest level on record is 1,077.15 ft on April 14, 1964. The lowest is 1,050.75 ft on December 28, 2007.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02334400 (Agency page)
Coordinates
34.20000, -83.95000 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
local
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Surface elevation 1,063.61 ft 2026-10-17 05:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Lanier (usgs:02334400). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/lake-lanier

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.