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Clear Lake at Clear Lake water level

Lake, Clear Lake, Iowa, United States

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Right now

High for mid-October

Water level

4.63ft Steady over the last 24 hours

4 5 6 Highest onrecord 5.99 ft

History

History
3.54.04.5ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 17Oct 183.54.04.5ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18
3.54.04.5ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 183.54.04.5ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 18
45ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202645ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
45ftOct 2020Apr 2022Oct 2023Apr 2025Oct 202645ftOct 2020Oct 2023Oct 2026
45ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202645ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

There is plenty of water in Clear Lake at Clear Lake: 4.63 ft, above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.04 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 0.59 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 4.62 ft, a difference of +0.01 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.61 ft and 4.77 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
4.04 ft0.59 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.57 ft – 4.63 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year
4.62 ft+0.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.61 ft – 4.77 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.43 ft – 5.25 ft
Highest on record
5.99 ftJune 13, 2008

Swimming and boating at Clear Lake at Clear Lake

A little more water than usual mostly means narrower beaches. Ramps and docks generally work as normal, but watch for floating debris after storms.

If you swim, pick a spot with an easy way out, and remember that drop-offs move as the level changes.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
15.99 ftJune 13, 2008
25.94 ftJuly 3, 1951
35.58 ftMay 22, 1999
45.55 ftApril 12, 2001
55.48 ftJuly 6, 2004
65.41 ftJune 23, 1998
75.36 ftApril 3, 2007
85.28 ftAugust 17, 2002
95.27 ftMay 11, 2003
105.27 ftMay 2, 2006

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.90 in.

17 Sat 60° 32° – Wind 19 mph
18 Sun 62° 43° – Wind 20 mph
19 Mon 64° 42° – Wind 11 mph
20 Tue 66° 46° – Wind 12 mph
21 Wed 69° 49° 0.04 in Wind 14 mph
22 Thu 73° 58° – Wind 10 mph
23 Fri 73° 55° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min First quarter 54%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Winnebago River at Mason CityRiver gauge, Winnebago River 5.61 ft Below flood stage +0.05 ft 10 mi
Iowa River near RowanRiver gauge, Iowa River 4.36 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 28 mi
Deer Creek near CarpenterRiver gauge, Deer Creek 79.06 ft Below flood stage −0.17 ft 28 mi
Cedar River at Charles CityRiver gauge, Cedar River 4.07 ft Below flood stage +0.06 ft 36 mi
Boone River near GoldfieldRiver gauge, Boone River 166 cfs Normal −4.0 cfs 40 mi
Cedar River near AustinRiver gauge, Cedar River 4.23 ft Below flood stage −0.12 ft 41 mi
South Fork Iowa River near BlairsburgRiver gauge, South Fork Iowa River 5.58 ft Very high −0.28 ft 41 mi
East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota CityRiver gauge, East Fork Des Moines River 9.42 ft Below flood stage +0.14 ft 49 mi

Questions and answers

Is Clear Lake at Clear Lake higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.01 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.62 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 4.04 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.57 ft and 4.63 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of Clear Lake at Clear Lake today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM CDT, the water level was 4.63 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Clear Lake at Clear Lake rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Clear Lake at Clear Lake normal?

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 Clear Lake at Clear Lake?

The highest level on record is 5.99 ft on June 13, 2008.

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:05460000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
43.12431, -93.38397 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 4.63 ft 2026-10-18 23:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Clear Lake at Clear Lake (usgs:05460000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/clear-lake-at-clear-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.