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Lake Buchanan Water Level Today

Daily level, percent full and history for Lake Buchanan, the first of the Highland Lakes on the Colorado River.

Updated · Source: Texas Water Development BoardTWDB

Water level

1,018.31ft

msl · Daily reading for Nov 7, 2026

  • 1.69 ftbelow full pool (1,020.0 ft)
  • 95.7%full
  • −0.02 ftin 24 h−0.04 ft in 7 days−0.25 ft in 30 days
1,0181,0201,0221,0181,0201,0221,0181,0201,022
  • Full pool
  • 1 yr ago

Storage 829,053 of 866,694 acre-ft

Is Lake Buchanan full?

No. Lake Buchanan is 95.7% full, 1.69 ft below full pool. It is 0.17 ft higher than a year ago (1,018.14 ft on Nov 7, 2025).

Lake Buchanan level history

Full pool 1,020.0 ft
View data table
DateLevel (ft)% full
Nov 7, 20261,018.3195.7%
Nov 6, 20261,018.3395.7%
Nov 5, 20261,018.3695.8%
Nov 4, 20261,018.3795.8%
Nov 3, 20261,018.3995.9%
Nov 2, 20261,018.3295.7%
Nov 1, 20261,018.3495.7%
Oct 31, 20261,018.3595.8%
Oct 30, 20261,018.3595.8%
Oct 29, 20261,018.3495.7%
Oct 28, 20261,018.3395.7%
Oct 27, 20261,018.3395.7%
Oct 26, 20261,018.3495.7%
Oct 25, 20261,018.3495.7%
Oct 24, 20261,018.3595.8%
Oct 23, 20261,018.3595.8%
Oct 22, 20261,018.3795.8%
Oct 21, 20261,018.3795.8%
Oct 20, 20261,018.3795.8%
Oct 19, 20261,018.3895.8%
Oct 18, 20261,018.3995.9%
Oct 17, 20261,018.4295.9%
Oct 16, 20261,018.5196.2%
Oct 15, 20261,018.5196.2%
Oct 14, 20261,018.5196.2%
Oct 13, 20261,018.5196.2%
Oct 12, 20261,018.5196.2%
Oct 11, 20261,018.5296.2%
Oct 10, 20261,018.5496.2%
Oct 9, 20261,018.5696.3%
Oct 8, 20261,018.5696.3%
  • Lake Buchanan level
  • Full pool 1,020.0 ft
  • Above full pool
Source: TWDB · Daily readings since 1937

Lake Buchanan on Nov 7 in past years

Lake Buchanan water level on Nov 7 in past years
YearLevel (ft)vs today% full
2026today1,018.31—
95.7%
20251,018.14−0.17
95.2%
20241,003.51−14.80
61.6%
2023994.03−24.28
44.8%
20221,002.29−16.02
59.2%
20211,015.36−2.95
88.2%
20201,014.14−4.17
85.2%
20191,016.03−2.28
89.9%
20181,018.15−0.16
95.3%
20171,015.74−2.57
89.3%
20161,017.76−0.55
94.3%

Today’s level is the highest for this date since 2004.

Lake facts

Full pool (conservation pool)
1,020.0 ft msl
Dead pool
937.00 ft msl
Conservation capacity
866,694 acre-ft
Surface area today
22,111 acres
Record high since 1938
1,021.26 ftDec 21, 1991
Record low since 1938
983.70 ftSep 9, 1952
Data since
Jun 30, 1937
Dam
Buchanan Damcompleted 1937
River
Colorado River (Texas)
Operated by
LCRA
Dam location
Burnet County
Gauge location
30.7516, −98.4184

Dam, river and owner from the National Inventory of Dams (USACE). Records start in 1938, after the first filling of the reservoir.

Highland Lakes chain

UpstreamColorado River (Texas)Downstream
  1. Lake Buchanan1,018.31 ft95.7% full−1.69 ft vs full poolYou are here
  2. Inks Lake887.19 ft95.3% full−0.81 ft vs full pool
  3. Lake LBJ824.74 ft98.5% full−0.26 ft vs full pool
  4. Lake Marble Falls736.69 ft97.5% full−0.31 ft vs full pool
  5. Lake Travis677.12 ft93.4% full−3.88 ft vs full pool
  6. Lake Austin492.20 ft96.1% full−0.60 ft vs full pool

Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis are the water-supply reservoirs. Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls and Austin are pass-through lakes kept near full.

Weather on the lake

  1. Tonight58°FLowNNE 5–10 mphShowers and Thunderstorms
  2. Sunday63°FHighLow 58°FNE 0–10 mphRain Showers
  3. Monday66°FHighLow 56°FCalmRain Showers Likely
  4. Tuesday71°FHighLow 60°FCalmPartly Sunny
  5. Wednesday74°FHighLow 57°FW 0–5 mphPartly Sunny
  6. Thursday72°FHighLow 51°FNNW 5 mphSunny
  7. Friday70°FHighLow 52°FCalmSunny

Forecast: National Weather Service for the dam area (30.75, −98.42). Wind speeds are forecasts, not measurements.

Nearby lakes

Quick answers

What is the full pool level of Lake Buchanan?
1,020.0 ft above mean sea level, the top of its conservation pool. Above it, water is released or flows over the spillway of Buchanan Dam.
How much does Lake Buchanan need to be full?
Lake Buchanan needs 1.69 ft more water to reach full pool (1,020.0 ft), or about 37,641 acre-ft of storage, as of Nov 7, 2026.
Is Lake Buchanan rising or falling?
It is steady: −0.04 ft in the last 7 days and −0.02 ft in 24 hours, to 1,018.31 ft on Nov 7, 2026 (Texas Water Development Board).
When was Lake Buchanan last full?
It was last at or above full pool (1,020.0 ft) on Jul 30, 2025. On Nov 7, 2026 it was 1.69 ft below.
What was the highest level ever recorded?
Lake Buchanan reached 1,021.26 ft on Dec 21, 1991. The lowest was 983.70 ft on Sep 9, 1952 (TWDB data since 1938).
How much has Lake Buchanan changed in the last year?
In the last 12 months it ranged from 1,017.40 ft (Jan 28, 2026) to 1,019.96 ft (Jun 27, 2026), a swing of 2.56 ft.
How often is this page updated?
This page is updated every morning with the daily reading published by the Texas Water Development Board. The last reading is from Nov 7, 2026.

Where this data comes from

Daily reservoir data from the Texas Water Development Board (Lake Buchanan on waterdatafortexas.org). Updated every morning. Weather from the National Weather Service. Dam details from the National Inventory of Dams.

Lake Levels Daily is an independent site, not affiliated with TWDB, LCRA, USACE, USGS, NOAA, TVA or any lake operator. Check official sources before making safety decisions.