Lake Panorama at Panora water level

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

Lake, Lake Panorama, Iowa, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

45.53ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 07:15 PM CDT (59 min ago)

History

What this means

Lake Panorama at Panora is well above normal at 45.53 ft.

The median for mid-October is 45.04 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 0.49 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 40.54 ft, a difference of +4.99 ft. The record high is 50.68 ft, set on July 9, 1993.

It has dropped 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 45.43 ft and 45.69 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: 45.04 ft0.49 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 40.63 ft – 45.42 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 40.54 ft+4.99 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 45.43 ft – 45.69 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 40.58 ft – 45.90 ft
Highest on record: 50.68 ftJuly 9, 1993

On the water at Lake Panorama at Panora

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	50.68 ft	July 9, 1993
2	47.56 ft	July 28, 2008
3	46.83 ft	May 23, 2004
4	46.20 ft	July 6, 1998
5	46.05 ft	April 25, 2007
6	45.98 ft	August 23, 2002
7	45.95 ft	September 17, 2006
8	45.91 ft	April 30, 2003
9	45.75 ft	June 13, 2000
10	45.74 ft	March 14, 2001

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.50 in.

17 Sat 62° 31° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 65° 42° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 71° 51° 0.02 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 75° 55° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 74° 57° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 54%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Raccoon River at PanoraRiver gauge, Middle Raccoon River	5.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	0.8 mi
Middle Raccoon River near BayardRiver gauge, Middle Raccoon River	582 cfs	Very high	−116.0 cfs	8 mi
South Raccoon River at RedfieldRiver gauge, South Raccoon River	4.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.31 ft	14 mi
North Raccoon River near JeffersonRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	8.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	20 mi
Raccoon River at Van MeterRiver gauge, Raccoon River	8.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	25 mi
Raccoon River near West Des MoinesRiver gauge, Raccoon River	32.74 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	33 mi
Beaver Creek near GrimesRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	7.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.57 ft	33 mi
Walnut Creek at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Panorama at Panora higher than last year?

Yes, it is 4.99 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 40.54 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 45.04 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 40.63 ft and 45.42 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of Lake Panorama at Panora today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:15 PM CDT, the water level was 45.53 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Panorama at Panora rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Panorama at Panora 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 Lake Panorama at Panora?

The highest level on record is 50.68 ft on July 9, 1993.

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:05483470 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.69561, -94.38175 (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	45.53 ft	2026-10-19 00:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/6777?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Lake Panorama at Panora water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Panorama at Panora (usgs:05483470). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/lake-panorama-at-panora

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