Lake Murray near Columbia water level

Name: Lake Murray near Columbia 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 Murray, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Surface elevation

354.18ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT (44 min ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 354.18 ft, Lake Murray near Columbia is far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 356.26 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 2.08 ft below typical. It is 5.82 ft below the flood stage of 360.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 356.45 ft, a difference of −2.27 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out.

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: 356.26 ft2.08 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 354.43 ft – 357.64 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 356.45 ft−2.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 354.18 ft – 355.95 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 354.29 ft – 481.99 ft
Highest on record: 359.91 ftJanuary 1, 2016

Swimming and boating at Lake Murray near Columbia

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.

What happens at each level

370.00 ft: Homes and other structures at higher elevations flood. Some peninsulas become islands.
365.00 ft: Homes nearest the lake flood and roads nearest the lake are covered by 2 feet of water.
363.00 ft: Roads nearest Lake Murray flood and homes nearest the lake are threatened by flood water.
360.00 ft: Flood stage - water begins flooding docks along the shoreline of Lake Murray.
354.18 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.11 in.

20 Tue 76° 43° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 74° 48° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 76° 49° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 73° 48° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 71° 49° – Wind 14 mph

25 Sun 72° 47° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 75° 48° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Murray Tailrace near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Lake Murray Tailrace	75.77 ft	High	−0.01 ft	0.2 mi
Saluda River below Lake Murray Dam near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	5.77 ft	High	±0	0.6 mi
Twelve Mile Creek at LexingtonRiver gauge, Twelve Mile Creek	3.66 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	5.2 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	3.25 ft	High	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Broad River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Broad River	154.05 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	8 mi
Smith Branch at North Main St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Smith Branch	0.39 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Congaree River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Congaree River	3.47 ft	Normal	±0	11 mi
Congaree Creek at South CongareeRiver gauge, Congaree Creek	2.67 ft	Very low	−0.68 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Murray near Columbia higher than last year?

No, it is 2.27 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 356.45 ft.

What is a normal level for Lake Murray near Columbia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 356.26 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 354.43 ft and 357.64 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Lake Murray near Columbia really 354.18 ft deep?

No. 354.18 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 Murray near Columbia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT, the surface elevation was 354.18 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Murray near Columbia rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.77 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Murray near Columbia normal?

Very 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 Lake Murray near Columbia?

The highest level on record is 359.91 ft on January 1, 2016.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02168500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.05209, -81.22065 (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	354.18 ft	2026-10-20 17:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Murray near Columbia (usgs:02168500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/lake-murray-near-columbia

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