States

Rend Lake

Illinois · USACE gauge
403404405406407FULL
Grey bar: 12-month range 403.1–406.2 ft; red line: full pool 405.0 ft.
Water level · NAVD88
403.29FT
Gauge elevation · no % full published
7 days −0.22 ft30 days −0.77 ftvs last year −1.00 ft
Reading for Oct 25, 2026, 21:00 UTC · page refreshed Oct 25, 21:53 UTC
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS Data API)
Worth going today?This Afternoon
Looks good
Light wind, dry
Wind0 mph
Rain0%
Temp78°F
Level403.3 ft
This AfternoonPartly Sunny · 78°F
0 mph · rain 0%
TonightMostly Cloudy · 56°F
S 1 mph · rain 1%
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.

Level history

403404405ftSep 25Oct 3Oct 10Oct 17Oct 25Full pool 405.0
403404405ftSep 25Oct 10Oct 25Full pool 405.0
403404405406ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Full pool 405.0
403404405406ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Full pool 405.0

Field notes

On Oct 25, 2026, Rend Lake was at 403.29 (NAVD88) ft.

That is 1.71 ft below the conservation (full) pool elevation of 405.00 ft.

Over the past 7 days the lake has been falling (−0.22 ft), and it is −0.77 ft over 30 days.

Compared with a year ago (404.29 ft), the lake is 1.00 ft lower.

Readings are the hourly pool elevation the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publishes for Rend Lk-Big Muddy (MVS); changes compare readings at the same hour.

Lake facts

Gauge / stationRend Lk-Big Muddy (MVS)
Elevation datumft (NAVD88)
Gauge location38.0376, -88.9616

Reference levels

Level · sourceElevationToday vs level
Top of conservation pool
USACE “Elevation - 0 Percent Flood Control”
405.00 ft−1.71 ft
Top of flood-control pool
USACE “Elevation - 100 Percent Flood Control”
410.00 ft−6.71 ft

Only levels the agency publishes, or that we compute directly from its own records, are listed. “Today vs level” = latest reading minus the reference level. A level the source does not publish is left out rather than estimated.

Nearby lakes

Carlyle Lake45 mi NW444.62 ft−0.06 ftLake Barkley81 mi SE · KY354.70 ft+0.07 ftLake Shelbyville95 mi N599.14 ft−0.07 ftClearwater Lake117 mi SW · MO494.74 ft+0.15 ftPatoka Lake125 mi E · IN537.84 ft—

Common questions

How full is Rend Lake right now?

The Corps feed we use gives pool elevation, not percent full. On Oct 25, 2026 the lake was at 403.29 ft, 1.71 ft below the top of conservation pool of 405.00 ft.

How high can Rend Lake go before flood storage is full?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lists the top of the flood-control pool at 410.00 ft.

What is full pool at Rend Lake?

The conservation (full) pool elevation published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is 405.00 ft. The lake is currently 1.71 ft below it.

Is Rend Lake rising or falling?

Over the last 7 days it changed −0.22 ft and over 30 days −0.77 ft.

How often is this page updated?

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

Where does the data come from?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' public CWMS Data API (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), which publishes pool elevations and the project's reference levels. Forecasts come from the National Weather Service.

Hourly pool elevation published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 7-day, 30-day and year-ago changes compare readings at the same hour. USACE data are provisional and subject to revision. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. See data sources.