Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper water level

Name: Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Jim L. Chapman Lake, Texas, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Surface elevation

434.56ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT (40 min ago)

History

What this means

At 434.56 ft, Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 437.02 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 2.46 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 437.07 ft, a difference of −2.51 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 434.56 ft and 435.44 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: 437.02 ft2.46 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 434.25 ft – 438.18 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 437.07 ft−2.51 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 434.56 ft – 435.44 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 434.62 ft – 438.55 ft
Highest on record: 447.99 ftDecember 29, 2015

Swimming and boating at Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper

Low water changes a lake fast for boaters. Some ramps get shorter or close, docks may be moved, and rocks and sandbars that are usually well under the surface come within reach of a prop.

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 70° 43° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 77° 46° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 78° 51° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 82° 54° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 85° 57° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 85° 59° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 85° 58° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 62%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
S Sulphur River near CooperRiver gauge, S Sulphur River	1.49 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	2.4 mi
N Sulphur River near CooperRiver gauge, N Sulphur River	0.36 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	10 mi
Lake Sulphur Spgs near Sulphur SpringsLake, Lake Sulphur Spgs	457.34 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	11 mi
S Sulphur River at SH 11 near CommerceRiver gauge, S Sulphur River	0.0 cfs	Very low	−1.0 cfs	16 mi
Middle Sulphur River at CommerceRiver gauge, Middle Sulphur River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	17 mi
Lake Crook near ParisLake, Lake Crook	474.48 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	27 mi
Sulphur River near TalcoRiver gauge, Sulphur River	1.23 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	29 mi
Cowleech Fk Sabine River at GreenvilleRiver gauge, Cowleech Fk Sabine River	4.27 ft	High	−0.02 ft	30 mi

Questions and answers

Is Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper higher than last year?

No, it is 2.51 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 437.07 ft.

What is a normal level for Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 437.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 434.25 ft and 438.18 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper really 434.56 ft deep?

No. 434.56 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 Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the surface elevation was 434.56 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.34 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper?

The highest level on record is 447.99 ft on December 29, 2015.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07342495 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.33344, -95.62523 (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	434.56 ft	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Jim L. Chapman Lake near Cooper (usgs:07342495). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/jim-l-chapman-lake-near-cooper

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