Pilarcitos Lake near Hillsborough water level

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

Lake, Pilarcitos Lake, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Surface elevation

679.68ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 PM PDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days

Surface elevation Minor flood stage

What this means

The lake level at Pilarcitos Lake near Hillsborough reads 679.68 ft, about where it usually sits at this time of year.

It is 18.32 ft below the flood stage of 698.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 679.68 ft – 679.89 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Boating and fishing at Pilarcitos Lake near Hillsborough

A lake in its usual range is what most ramps, docks and swimming areas are built for.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 67° 49° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 69° 55° 0.33 in, 34% Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 57° 53° 0.08 in, 32% Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 66° 50° 0.00 in Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 72° 51° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 79° 55° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 79° 58° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pilarcitos Creek below Spillway near HillsboroughRiver gauge, Pilarcitos Creek	2.8 cfs	Normal	+0.1 cfs	0.1 mi
Pilarcitos Creek above Stone Dam near HillsboroughRiver gauge, Pilarcitos Creek	3.5 cfs	Normal	+0.1 cfs	1.9 mi
Pilarcitos Creek below Stone Dam near HillsboroughRiver gauge, Pilarcitos Creek	1.5 cfs	Normal	+0.1 cfs	2.1 mi
San Mateo Creek below Lo Crystal Sp Reservoir near San MateoRiver gauge, San Mateo Creek	3.8 cfs	Normal	±0	3.7 mi
Pilarcitos C A Half Moon BayRiver gauge	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	5.7 mi
San Francisquito C A Stanford UniversityRiver gauge	0.18 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
San Gregorio C A San GregorioRiver gauge	3.67 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	16 mi
San Francisco Bay A Old Dumbarton Branch near NewarkEstuary gauge, San Francisco Bay A Old Dumbarton Branch	3.43 ft	Normal	−0.25 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

Is Pilarcitos Lake near Hillsborough really 679.68 ft deep?

No. 679.68 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 Pilarcitos Lake near Hillsborough today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 PM PDT, the surface elevation was 679.68 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Pilarcitos Lake near Hillsborough rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Pilarcitos Lake near Hillsborough normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11162618 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.54878, -122.42215 (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
Surface elevation	679.68 ft	2026-10-20 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Pilarcitos Lake near Hillsborough (usgs:11162618). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/pilarcitos-lake-near-hillsborough

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