West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford water level

Name: West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, West Okoboji Lake, Iowa, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

4.14ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 PM CDT (34 min ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 4.14 ft, West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford is holding more water than usual for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.65 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 0.49 ft above typical. It is 2.36 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.92 ft, a difference of +0.22 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.13 ft – 4.30 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: 3.65 ft0.49 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.33 ft – 3.97 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.92 ft+0.22 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.13 ft – 4.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.82 ft – 4.75 ft
Highest on record: 8.66 ftJuly 17, 1993

Boating and fishing at West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford

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.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: County roads along Milford Creek start flooding, and the pumping station near the Lower Gar Lake outlet begins flooding.
8.50 ft: Water is over the top of the culvert at the county road crossing the Lower Gar Lake outlet, and moderate flooding of pasture land along Milford Creek begins.
7.50 ft: Flooding of low lands along Milford Creek begins.
6.75 ft: Water reaches the floor of the pump house for water supply for Milford and West Okoboji.
6.20 ft: The Emergency Lake-wide 5 mph rule on East Okoboji, West Okoboji, Upper Gar, Lower Gar, and Minnewashta lakes is enacted.
4.14 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.66 ft	July 17, 1993
2	8.10 ft	June 25, 2024
3	6.60 ft	July 5, 2018
4	6.25 ft	July 16, 2011
5	6.23 ft	June 24, 1984
6	6.14 ft	July 8, 1962
7	6.11 ft	April 10, 1965
8	5.98 ft	May 31, 2019
9	5.61 ft	April 18, 2006
10	5.51 ft	June 18, 2016

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 65° 37° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 65° 39° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 72° 45° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 73° 55° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 74° 56° 0.00 in Wind 21 mph

24 Sat 71° 53° 0.06 in Wind 19 mph

25 Sun 60° 49° 0.03 in, 22% Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spirit Lake near OrleansLake, Spirit Lake	14.20 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Des Moines River at EsthervilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	2.29 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	17 mi
Ocheyedan River near SpencerRiver gauge, Ocheyedan River	2.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	17 mi
Des Moines River at JacksonRiver gauge, Des Moines River	6.97 ft	Below flood stage	±0	19 mi
Willow Creek near CornellRiver gauge, Willow Creek	82.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	28 mi
Des Moines River at EmmetsburgRiver gauge, Des Moines River	1.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	30 mi
Little Floyd River near SanbornRiver gauge, Little Floyd River	83.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	30 mi
Little Sioux River at Linn GroveRiver gauge, Little Sioux River	6.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

Is West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.22 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.92 ft.

What is a normal level for West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.65 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.33 ft and 3.97 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 PM CDT, the water level was 4.14 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford 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 West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford?

The highest level on record is 8.66 ft on July 17, 1993.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06604200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.37842, -95.18122 (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
Water level	4.14 ft	2026-10-20 22:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near Milford (usgs:06604200). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/west-okoboji-lake-at-lakeside-lab-near-milford

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