Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain water level

Name: Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain 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 Francis Case, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Surface elevation

1,343.33ft Down 0.54 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 AM CDT (20 min ago)

Water level: 47.77 ft

History

7 days

Surface elevation

What this means

Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain is far below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 1,343.33 ft.

It has dropped 0.54 ft over the past 24 hours. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. In the last month it has stayed between 1,343.13 ft and 1,345.31 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 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

On the water at Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain

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.

What happens at each level

1,343.33 ft: Right now
70.00 ft: American Creek recreation area will flood.
68.00 ft: Some homes begin to be affected by flood waters.
66.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the boat ramps at American Creek camp ground, West Bridge, and Snake Creek East.
65.00 ft: American Creek marina just upstream of the gauge will begin flooding, and water reaches the top of the boat ramp near Buryanek camp ground.
63.00 ft: Camp grounds begin to flood.
62.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the boat ramps at American Creek marina, Elm Creek #3, Crow Creek, and Dude Ranch.
61.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the boat ramps at Boyer and Snake Creek West.

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.28 in.

18 Sun 72° 48° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 68° 43° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 74° 49° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 76° 55° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 80° 55° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 77° 62° 0.06 in, 24% Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 64° 45° 0.02 in, 44% Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:49 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
White River near OacomaRiver gauge, White River	7.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Elm Creek near Gann ValleyRiver gauge, Elm Creek	3.47 ft	High	−0.03 ft	20 mi
Medicine Creek near Lower BruleRiver gauge, Medicine Creek	5.3 cfs	Normal	+0.5 cfs	25 mi
Platte Creek near PlatteRiver gauge, Platte Creek	1.57 ft	Below flood stage	±0	38 mi
Cedar Creek near PreshoRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	6.82 ft	Below flood stage	±0	44 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain really 1,343.33 ft deep?

No. 1,343.33 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 Francis Case at Chamberlain today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 AM CDT, the surface elevation was 1,343.33 ft. Down 0.54 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain rising or falling?

Down 0.54 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:06442996 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.81611, -99.32694 (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	1,343.33 ft	2026-10-19 16:30	Provisional
Water level	47.77 ft	2026-10-19 16:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain (usgs:06442996). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/lake-francis-case-at-chamberlain

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