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Lake Minatare water level

Lake, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Surface elevation

4,097.57ft Steady over the last 7 days

Water stored
13,128 acre‑ft
4,100 4,110

History

History
4,1004,110ftOct 11Oct 12Oct 13Oct 14Oct 164,1004,110ftOct 11Oct 13Oct 16
4,1004,110ftSep 18Sep 25Oct 2Oct 9Oct 164,1004,110ftSep 18Oct 2Oct 16
4,1004,1104,120ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20264,1004,1104,120ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
4,1004,1104,120ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20264,1004,1104,120ftOct 2016Oct 2021Sep 2026
4,1004,1104,120ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20264,1004,1104,120ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Lake Minatare is below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 4,097.57 ft.

That puts it 11.73 ft below the median of 4,109.30 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 4,103.68 ft (−6.11 ft).

The level has held steady over the past week. In the last month it has stayed between 4,097.55 ft and 4,097.62 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 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4,109.30 ft11.73 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4,093.24 ft – 4,114.34 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
4,103.68 ft−6.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4,097.55 ft – 4,097.62 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4,097.55 ft – 4,108.23 ft

On the water at Lake Minatare

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

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in.

17 Sat 74° 33° – Wind 11 mph
18 Sun 71° 41° – Wind 13 mph
19 Mon 67° 44° – Wind 9 mph
20 Tue 73° 47° – Wind 8 mph
21 Wed 77° 55° – Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 77° 55° – Wind 20 mph
23 Fri 74° 56° 0.02 in, 42% Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 44%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Winters Creek LakeLake 4,118.90 ft Very low 3.5 mi
Little Lake Alice ReservoirReservoir 4,130.99 ft Normal 5.3 mi
Lake Alice and DamsLake 4,159.00 ft Very low 9 mi
North Platte River at ScottsbluffRiver gauge, North Platte River 4.11 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 11 mi
Niobrara River at AgateRiver gauge, Niobrara River 6.38 ft Very high +0.01 ft 38 mi
Box Butte ReservoirReservoir 3,984.23 ft Low 43 mi

Questions and answers

How does Lake Minatare compare with last year?

It is 6.11 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4,103.68 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 4,109.30 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4,093.24 ft and 4,114.34 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Lake Minatare really 4,097.57 ft deep?

No. 4,097.57 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 Minatare today?

On Oct 16, 2026, the surface elevation was 4,097.57 ft. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is Lake Minatare rising or falling?

Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Minatare normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation publishes a new reading once a day. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Station code
usbr:399 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.91830, -103.48860 (WGS84)
Update interval
once a day
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Surface elevation 4,097.57 ft 2026-10-16 06:00 Provisional
Water stored 13,128 acre‑ft 2026-10-16 06:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Lake Minatare (usbr:399). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/lake-minatare

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.