Medina Lake near San Antonio water level

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

Lake, Medina Lake, Texas, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Surface elevation

1,020.16ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (35 min ago)

Water stored: 71,880 acre‑ft

History

202120222023202420252026

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

What this means

Medina Lake near San Antonio is above normal at 1,020.16 ft.

That puts it 33.78 ft above the median of 986.38 ft for mid-October, based on 7 years of readings. It is 44.04 ft below the flood stage of 1,064.20 ft. A year ago it stood at 981.99 ft (+38.17 ft).

It has dropped 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1,020.16 ft and 1,020.96 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: 986.38 ft33.78 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 973.09 ft – 1,036.71 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 981.99 ft+38.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1,020.16 ft – 1,020.96 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 976.55 ft – 1,022.08 ft
Highest on record: 1,065.76 ftJune 3, 2016

On the water at Medina Lake near San Antonio

With the level a bit above normal, expect a shoreline slightly higher up than usual and the odd floating branch.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

What happens at each level

1,076.00 ft: Top of dam structure.
1,070.00 ft: Lowest homes around Medina Lake have several feet of water in them. Many homes flood downstream in Bexar County near Von Army and Lacoste.
1,068.00 ft: The lowest homes aruond Medina Lake flood. Docks and facilities around the lake flood.
1,064.50 ft: Boats are damaged and docks around Medina lake swamped if ties aren't loosened.
1,064.20 ft: Flow passes through the emergency spillway. Lowest homes at the upper end of the lake are threatened.** Medina lake pool height referenced to mean sea level as of October 1, 2002. Users of historical data will need to decrease historical levels by 7.8 feet when comparing to current readings.
1,020.16 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 81° 55° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 82° 53° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 82° 67° 0.05 in Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 82° 62° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 83° 61° – Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 80° 63° – Wind 14 mph

26 Mon 79° 60° 0.06 in Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 07:01 PM Daylight 11 hr, 20 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Verde Creek at SH 173 near BanderaRiver gauge, Middle Verde Creek	3.17 ft	Normal	±0	10 mi
San Geronimo Creek near HelotesRiver gauge, San Geronimo Creek	2.35 ft	Normal	±0	10 mi
Medina River above English Crsg near Pipe CreekRiver gauge, Medina River	19.3 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	11 mi
Helotes Creek at HelotesRiver gauge, Helotes Creek	0.89 ft	Normal	±0	15 mi
Medina River at BanderaRiver gauge, Medina River	3.57 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Hondo Creek at SH 173 near HondoRiver gauge, Hondo Creek	0.70 ft	Normal	±0	16 mi
Medina River at La CosteRiver gauge, Medina River	9.05 ft	Below flood stage	+2.96 ft	17 mi
Hondo Creek near TarpleyRiver gauge, Hondo Creek	2.39 ft	High	±0	19 mi

Questions and answers

How does Medina Lake near San Antonio compare with last year?

It is 38.17 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 981.99 ft.

What is a normal level for Medina Lake near San Antonio in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 986.38 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 973.09 ft and 1,036.71 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Medina Lake near San Antonio really 1,020.16 ft deep?

No. 1,020.16 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 Medina Lake near San Antonio today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the surface elevation was 1,020.16 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Medina Lake near San Antonio rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.39 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Medina Lake near San Antonio normal?

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 Medina Lake near San Antonio?

The highest level on record is 1,065.76 ft on June 3, 2016.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08179500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.54023, -98.93395 (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	1,020.16 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional
Water stored	71,880 acre‑ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Medina Lake near San Antonio (usgs:08179500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/medina-lake-near-san-antonio

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