Black Hawk Lake at Lake View water level

Name: Black Hawk Lake at Lake View water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Black Hawk Lake, Iowa, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

8.06ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT (44 min ago)

History

What this means

Black Hawk Lake at Lake View is well above normal at 8.06 ft.

The median for mid-October is 6.47 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 1.59 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 7.42 ft, a difference of +0.64 ft. The record high is 9.28 ft, set on June 22, 1996.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 7.66 ft and 8.09 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 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.47 ft1.59 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 6.12 ft – 7.45 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 7.42 ft+0.64 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.66 ft – 8.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.35 ft – 8.08 ft
Highest on record: 9.28 ftJune 22, 1996

On the water at Black Hawk Lake at Lake View

Well above normal, shoreline trees stand in the water and debris floats on the surface. Slow down near the edges.

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.28 ft	June 22, 1996
2	9.13 ft	June 9, 2008
3	8.96 ft	March 20, 1979
4	8.76 ft	May 4, 2001
5	8.44 ft	June 25, 1998
6	8.44 ft	February 20, 1971
7	8.41 ft	May 26, 1990
8	8.41 ft	July 19, 1972
9	8.32 ft	June 18, 2004
10	8.31 ft	May 2, 1984

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.56 in.

18 Sun 65° 41° – Wind 20 mph

19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 48° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 72° 53° 0.06 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 74° 56° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 73° 58° 0.06 in Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 68° 49° – Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 56%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Raccoon River near Sac CityRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	654 cfs	High	−138.0 cfs	4.3 mi
North Raccoon River near LanesboroRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	11.59 ft	Very high	−0.62 ft	19 mi
Little Sioux River at CorrectionvilleRiver gauge, Little Sioux River	5.77 ft	Below flood stage	+0.24 ft	40 mi
North Raccoon River near JeffersonRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	8.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	40 mi
Maple River at MapletonRiver gauge, Maple River	5.25 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	41 mi
Little Sioux River at Linn GroveRiver gauge, Little Sioux River	6.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	42 mi
Lizard Creek near Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Lizard Creek	6.33 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	43 mi
Willow Creek near SoldierRiver gauge, Willow Creek	65.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	43 mi

Questions and answers

Is Black Hawk Lake at Lake View higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.64 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.42 ft.

What is a normal level for Black Hawk Lake at Lake View in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.47 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.12 ft and 7.45 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of Black Hawk Lake at Lake View today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT, the water level was 8.06 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Black Hawk Lake at Lake View rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Black Hawk Lake at Lake View normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Black Hawk Lake at Lake View?

The highest level on record is 9.28 ft on June 22, 1996.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05482315 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.30389, -95.04139 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
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
Water level	8.06 ft	2026-10-19 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Black Hawk Lake at Lake View (usgs:05482315). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/black-hawk-lake-at-lake-view

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