Kaw Lake Water Level
Water level now
Above normal1,011.61ft
+1.61 ft vs normal pool (1,010.00) · +0.50 ft vs typical for Oct 18
Reading taken Oct 18, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District (provisional data)
Level in feet above sea level (NGVD 29)
Daily levelNormal poolTypical for the date (2016 to last year)
Provisional data from USACE, as reported at Oct 18, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT. Readings can be delayed or wrong. Not for navigation, flood or safety decisions; follow local authorities and posted signs.
About Kaw Lake
Kaw Lake is 1.61 ft above normal pool, as of Oct 18, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT. The level on this page is reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District near Kaw City, OK, and compared with normal pool (the top of the conservation pool, 1,010.00 ft above sea level (NGVD 29)) and with the typical level for this date.
Since January 2016 the daily level has ranged from 1,006.07 ft (Oct 1, 2022) to 1,047.31 ft (May 24, 2019). The highest pool on record listed by the Corps of Engineers is 1,047.12 ft.
Over those years the lake has usually been highest in June and lowest in September; in the past 365 days it was at or above normal pool on 75% of days.
Kaw Lake by the numbers
| Normal pool (top of conservation) | 1,010.00 |
|---|---|
| Top of flood pool | 1,044.50 |
| Pool of record (USACE) | 1,047.12 |
| Highest since 2016 | 1,047.31 (May 24, 2019) |
| Lowest since 2016 | 1,006.07 (Oct 1, 2022) |
| Typical for Oct 18 | 1,011.11 |
| Oct 18, 2025 | 1,010.89 |
| Conservation storage now | 367,800 acre-ft |
Typical level by month
| Month | Median | vs normal | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,010.88 | +0.88 ft | 1,008.93 | 1,017.56 |
| February | 1,011.46 | +1.46 ft | 1,009.90 | 1,016.04 |
| March | 1,010.66 | +0.66 ft | 1,007.91 | 1,022.38 |
| April | 1,010.82 | +0.82 ft | 1,007.13 | 1,022.13 |
| May | 1,012.48 | +2.48 ft | 1,008.72 | 1,047.31 |
| June | 1,015.98 | +5.98 ft | 1,009.17 | 1,043.60 |
| July | 1,012.64 | +2.64 ft | 1,009.28 | 1,039.89 |
| August | 1,010.64 | +0.64 ft | 1,006.71 | 1,022.94 |
| September | 1,010.02 | +0.02 ft | 1,006.13 | 1,021.12 |
| October | 1,010.58 | +0.58 ft | 1,006.07 | 1,026.88 |
| November | 1,010.79 | +0.79 ft | 1,006.45 | 1,016.42 |
| December | 1,010.41 | +0.41 ft | 1,008.15 | 1,016.47 |
Highs and lows by year
| Year | High | Date | Low | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | 1,031.62 | Jun 29 | 1,006.89 | Sep 30 |
| 2025 | 1,039.25 | Jun 21 | 1,009.95 | Dec 19 |
| 2024 | 1,015.30 | Nov 14 | 1,006.64 | Sep 1 |
| 2023 | 1,015.10 | Dec 27 | 1,008.72 | May 18 |
| 2022 | 1,024.30 | May 10 | 1,006.07 | Oct 1 |
| 2021 | 1,021.33 | Jul 5 | 1,007.45 | Oct 8 |
| 2020 | 1,022.38 | Mar 30 | 1,007.94 | Oct 2 |
| 2019 | 1,047.31 | May 24 | 1,010.19 | Dec 27 |
| 2018 | 1,026.88 | Oct 14 | 1,007.13 | Apr 19 |
| 2017 | 1,036.99 | May 14 | 1,007.57 | Nov 25 |
| 2016 | 1,026.85 | Jul 9 | 1,007.96 | Aug 19 |
Weather at the dam, next 3 days
- Today: Sunny, wind 5 to 15 mph S68°F
- Tonight: Mostly Clear, wind 5 to 10 mph S45°F
- Monday: Mostly Sunny, wind 5 to 10 mph S71°F
- Monday Night: Mostly Clear, wind 5 to 10 mph SE48°F
- Tuesday: Mostly Sunny, wind 5 to 10 mph SE75°F
- Tuesday Night: Mostly Clear, wind 5 mph SE53°F
Forecast: National Weather Service, issued Oct 18, 2026, 7:50 AM CDT. Conditions on the water can change quickly.
Questions about Kaw Lake
- What is the normal pool level of Kaw Lake?
- 1,010.00 ft above sea level (NGVD 29). This is the top of the conservation pool as listed by the Corps of Engineers; water above it, up to the top of the flood pool at 1,044.50 ft, is flood storage that the Corps releases over time.
- Is Kaw Lake full right now?
- As of Oct 18, 2026, 8:00 AM CDT, the lake was 1.61 ft above normal pool.
- What is the lowest level Kaw Lake has reached recently?
- In our daily record since January 2016, the lowest was 1,006.07 ft on Oct 1, 2022, 3.93 ft below normal pool.
- How often is this page updated?
- We check the Corps of Engineers every hour and show each reading with its own time. If no new reading arrives for 6 hours, the page says so instead of showing an old value as current. See how we calculate.