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Milford Lake near Junction City water level

Lake, Milford Lake, Kansas, United States

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Right now

Very high for mid-October

Surface elevation

1,145.81ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Water stored
397,200 acre‑ft
1,150 1,175 Highest onrecord 1,189.90 ft

History

History
1,1421,1441,146ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 201,1421,1441,146ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
1,1421,1441,1461,148ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 201,1421,1441,1461,148ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
1,1431,1451,148ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20261,1431,1451,148ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
1,1431,1451,148ftOct 2020Apr 2022Oct 2023Apr 2025Oct 20261,1431,1451,148ftOct 2020Oct 2023Oct 2026
1,1431,1451,148ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261,1431,1451,148ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 1,145.81 ft, Milford Lake near Junction City is holding more water than usual for mid-October.

That puts it 1.12 ft above the median of 1,144.69 ft for mid-October, based on 7 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 1,144.76 ft (+1.05 ft). The record high is 1,189.90 ft, set on July 25, 1993.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1,145.76 ft – 1,147.64 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
1,144.69 ft1.12 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1,141.11 ft – 1,145.57 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year
1,144.76 ft+1.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1,145.76 ft – 1,147.64 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1,141.95 ft – 1,148.53 ft
Highest on record
1,189.90 ftJuly 25, 1993

Boating and fishing at Milford Lake near Junction City

When a lake runs high, docks and swimming areas may close for a while and floating logs become a real hazard for boats.

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 2.98 in.

17 Sat 64° 32° – Wind 12 mph
18 Sun 66° 40° – Wind 19 mph
19 Mon 69° 44° – Wind 16 mph
20 Tue 72° 51° 0.02 in Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 76° 57° – Wind 18 mph
22 Thu 81° 59° – Wind 13 mph
23 Fri 79° 64° – Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Republican River at Junction CityRiver gauge, Republican River 162 cfs Normal −400.0 cfs 4.4 mi
Kansas River at Fort RileyRiver gauge, Kansas River 5.54 ft Normal −0.50 ft 7 mi
Chapman Creek near ChapmanRiver gauge, Chapman Creek 4.40 ft Normal −0.05 ft 8 mi
Wildcat Creek at KeatsRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 8.19 ft High −0.03 ft 14 mi
Wildcat Creek at Scenic Drive, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 3.02 ft Below flood stage ±0 16 mi
Kings Creek near ManhattanRiver gauge, Kings Creek 2.6 cfs Very high −0.3 cfs 16 mi
Smoky Hill River at EnterpriseRiver gauge, Smoky Hill River 7.37 ft Normal −0.08 ft 17 mi
Wildcat Creek at Seth Childs Road, ManhattanRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek 2.73 ft Normal ±0 17 mi

Questions and answers

How does Milford Lake near Junction City compare with last year?

It is 1.05 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1,144.76 ft.

What is a normal level for Milford Lake near Junction City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1,144.69 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1,141.11 ft and 1,145.57 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Milford Lake near Junction City really 1,145.81 ft deep?

No. 1,145.81 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 Milford Lake near Junction City today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT, the surface elevation was 1,145.81 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Milford Lake near Junction City rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.31 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Milford Lake near Junction City 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 Milford Lake near Junction City?

The highest level on record is 1,189.90 ft on July 25, 1993.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06857050 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.07611, -96.89973 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Surface elevation 1,145.81 ft 2026-10-20 14:30 Provisional
Water stored 397,200 acre‑ft 2026-10-20 14:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Milford Lake near Junction City (usgs:06857050). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kansas/milford-lake-near-junction-city

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.