Donnell Lake

Name: Donnell Lake (California) water level
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey

near Dardanelle, CA · California · USGS gauge

Water level · NAVD88

4,791.51FT

Gauge elevation · no % full published

7 days −2.89 ft30 days −37.33 ftvs last year +9.54 ft

Reading for Oct 25, 2026, 17:45 UTC · page refreshed Oct 25, 21:11 UTC
Source: U.S. Geological Survey (Water Data for the Nation)

Worth going today?Today

Looks good

Light wind, dry

Wind3 to 7 mph

Rain0%

Temp60°F

Level4,791.5 ft

TodayMostly Sunny · 60°F
SW 3 to 7 mph · rain 0%

TonightPartly Cloudy · 38°F
SSE 6 mph · rain 0%

NWS forecast for the gauge location. Good = wind ≤ 10 mph and rain ≤ 30%; storms are flagged. Not safety advice – check local conditions, closures and warnings.

Field notes

As of Oct 25, 2026, Donnell Lake stood at 4,791.51 (NAVD88) ft.

Over the past 7 days the lake has been falling (−2.89 ft), and it is −37.33 ft over 30 days.

Compared with a year ago (4,781.97 ft, same time of day), the lake is 9.54 ft higher.

Readings come from the USGS gauge “DONNELL LK NR DARDANELLE CA”. Gauge elevations are not directly comparable between lakes because each uses its own datum.

Lake facts

Gauge / station	DONNELL LK NR DARDANELLE CA
Elevation datum	ft (NAVD88)
Gauge location	38.3293, -119.9613

Nearby lakes

Beardsley Lake11 mi SW3,334.80 ft−6.40 ft Cherry Lake25 mi S4,683.12 ft−0.04 ft Lake Eleanor25 mi S4,653.53 ft−0.09 ft Hetch Hetchy Reservoir28 mi S3,758.01 ft−2.90 ft Leviathan Mine Pond31 mi NE7,039.43 ft−0.02 ft

Common questions

Is Donnell Lake rising or falling?

Over the last 7 days it changed −2.89 ft and over 30 days −37.33 ft.

How full is Donnell Lake?

USGS publishes the water surface elevation for this gauge but not a percent-full figure, so we don't show one rather than estimate it.

How often is this page updated?

The page is rebuilt automatically every day from USGS's published data. Values can be revised later by the source agency.

Where does the data come from?

The U.S. Geological Survey's Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov), which publishes readings from USGS and partner gauges. Forecasts come from the National Weather Service.

Latest instantaneous reading; 7-day, 30-day and year-ago changes compare readings at the same hour. USGS data are provisional and subject to revision. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USGS. See data sources.