States

Salton Sea

near Westmorland, CA · California · USGS gauge

In short: Salton Sea was at -243.89 ft on Nov 1, 2026, according to USGS data. That is 0.33 ft lower than a year ago.

-246-245-244-243-242
Water level · NGVD29
-243.89FT
Gauge elevation · no % full published
7 days —vs last year −0.33 ft
Reading for Nov 1, 2026, 18:45 UTC · page refreshed Nov 1, 19:51 UTC
Source: U.S. Geological Survey (Water Data for the Nation)
Worth going today?Today
Windy or wet – use caution
Wind up to 25 mph, dry
Wind10 to 25 mph
Rain3%
Temp77°F
Level-243.9 ft
TodaySunny · 77°F
W 10 to 25 mph · rain 3%
TonightClear · 62°F
W 5 to 25 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.

Compared with past years: Salton Sea is 0.33 ft lower than it was a year ago (-243.56 ft).

Field notes

On Nov 1, 2026, Salton Sea was at -243.89 (NGVD29) ft.

Compared with a year ago (-243.56 ft, same time of day), the lake is 0.33 ft lower.

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

We ignored 31 value(s) in the source series that look like placeholders or one-day spikes (for example 0 or 999.99, or a jump of more than 25 ft in a day); no values were filled in.

Lake facts

Gauge / stationSALTON SEA NR WESTMORLAND CA
Elevation datumft (NGVD29)
Gauge location33.1538, -115.6731

Nearby lakes

El Capitan Reservoir68 mi W640.31 ft+0.01 ftSan Vicente Reservoir75 mi W650.20 ft−1.15 ftVail Lake79 mi W1,419.37 ft−0.31 ftLake Piru198 mi NW1,018.72 ft−2.26 ftCachuma Lake266 mi NW742.08 ft−0.28 ft

Common questions

What is the water level of Salton Sea today?

The latest reading from USGS, for Nov 1, 2026, puts Salton Sea at -243.89 ft (NGVD29). This page updates daily when the source publishes new data.

How full is Salton Sea?

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.

Is Salton Sea higher or lower than last year?

Salton Sea is 0.33 ft lower than it was a year ago (-243.56 ft). Based on USGS data for Nov 1, 2026.

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.