Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale water level

Name: Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Cecil M. Harden Lake, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Surface elevation

661.58ft Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days

Surface elevation Minor flood stage

What this means

The lake level at Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale reads 661.58 ft, about where it usually sits at this time of year.

It is 28.42 ft below the flood stage of 690.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.21 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 661.58 ft – 661.87 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 690.08 ftJuly 21, 2015

Boating and fishing at Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale

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.

What happens at each level

712.00 ft: Top of dam and dike.
710.00 ft: Top of dam.
693.00 ft: U.S. Highway 36 road surface under water. Old US 36 flooded. Access roads to Parkwood Hills, Hartman's and Knollwood subdivisions and several county roads flooded. Access to at least 40 trailers and 3 homes blocked by high water.
690.00 ft: Flood Pool - Spillway Crest. Lake covers 3,910 acres and extends for 15.5 miles. There is a 10% annual chance of occurrence of this level.
685.00 ft: Crooks-Byers subdivision's access road flooded. Corps picnic area under water.
684.00 ft: Knollwood access road under water. Trailers in Nevin's Camp flooded.
683.00 ft: Trailer in Hartman's Camp flooded. Calvert Picnic Shelter at Portland Mills inundated.
681.00 ft: Water at toe of dike.
680.00 ft: Raccoon State Recreation Area Beach House flooded.
678.00 ft: Walker Boat Ramp flooded.
677.00 ft: Hollandsburg and Mansfield ramps closed. Stored Emergency Gate under water. There is a 20% annual chance of occurrence of this level.
675.00 ft: Hollandsburg ramp flooded. Portland Mills ramp closed. Jib Crane boom is under water.
661.58 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.12 in.

17 Sat 55° 38° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 61° 38° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 70° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 71° 47° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 72° 47° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 74° 49° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 74° 49° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:04 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 64%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Raccoon Creek near FincastleRiver gauge, Big Raccoon Creek	1.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Big Raccoon Creek at CoxvilleRiver gauge, Big Raccoon Creek	4.78 ft	Below flood stage	±0	13 mi
Big Walnut Creek near ReelsvilleRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	0.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	14 mi
Wabash River at MontezumaRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.37 ft	17 mi
Mill Creek near ManhattanRiver gauge, Mill Creek	8.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.71 ft	18 mi
Cagles Mill Lake near ManhattanLake, Cagles Mill Lake	638.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	18 mi
Big Walnut Creek near RoachdaleRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	4.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Plum Creek near BainbridgeRiver gauge, Plum Creek	1.64 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

Is Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale really 661.58 ft deep?

No. 661.58 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 Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:15 PM CDT, the surface elevation was 661.58 ft. Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale rising or falling?

Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale?

The highest level on record is 690.08 ft on July 21, 2015.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03340870 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.71754, -87.07223 (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	661.58 ft	2026-10-20 01:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cecil M. Harden Lake at Ferndale (usgs:03340870). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/cecil-m-harden-lake-at-ferndale

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