Elephant Butte Lake
Source: Texas Water Development Board (Water Data for Texas)
SSW 5 to 15 mph · rain 20%
WNW 3 to 9 mph · rain 8%
Level history
Field notes
Elephant Butte Lake's latest daily level (Oct 18, 2026) is 4,296.05 ft, which is 4.8% of its conservation capacity.
That is 110.25 ft below the conservation (full) pool elevation of 4,406.30 ft.
Over the past 7 days the lake has been rising (+0.77 ft), and it is +19.83 ft over 30 days.
Compared with a year ago (4,292.18 ft), the lake is 3.87 ft higher.
For this time of year, the median in TWDB's records (1996–2025, 30 years with data) is 13.4% full, so Elephant Butte is currently below normal by 8.6 percentage points.
In TWDB's dataset (since 1915), the highest level recorded is 4,409.19 ft (Jun 16, 1942) and the lowest is 3,147.97 ft (Sep 9, 2026). Older records may be monthly rather than daily.
Lake facts
| Conservation storage | 95,129 ac-ft |
|---|---|
| Total storage (latest) | 95,129 ac-ft |
| Surface area | 4,754 acres |
| Gauge location | 33.1542, -107.1911 |
| Groups | Water supply for El Paso |
Reference levels
| Level · source | Elevation | Today vs level |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation (full) pool TWDB | 4,406.30 ft | −110.25 ft |
| Dead pool TWDB | 4,231.50 ft | +64.55 ft |
| Highest in TWDB data (since 1915) TWDB series | 4,409.19 ft Jun 16, 1942 | −113.14 ft |
| Lowest in TWDB data (since 1915) TWDB series | 3,147.97 ft Sep 9, 2026 | +1,148.08 ft |
| Normal range for this date TWDB series, 30 years 1996–2025 | 6.4–23.4% full (median 13.4%) | — |
| Conservation capacity TWDB | 1,985,900 acre-feet | — |
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
Common questions
How full is Elephant Butte Lake right now?
As of Oct 18, 2026, TWDB reports Elephant Butte Lake at 4.8% of its conservation capacity (95,129 of 1,985,900 acre-feet). For this date, the middle half of past years (1996–2025) ranged from 6.4% to 23.4% full, with a median of 13.4%.
What is the record high and low at Elephant Butte Lake?
In TWDB's records since 1915, the highest level is 4,409.19 ft (Jun 16, 1942) and the lowest is 3,147.97 ft (Sep 9, 2026).
What is full pool at Elephant Butte Lake?
The conservation (full) pool elevation used by TWDB is 4,406.30 ft. The lake is currently 110.25 ft below it.
Is Elephant Butte Lake rising or falling?
Over the last 7 days it changed +0.77 ft and over 30 days +19.83 ft.
How often is this page updated?
The page is rebuilt automatically every day from TWDB's published data. Values can be revised later by the source agency.
Where does the data come from?
Water Data for Texas, run by the Texas Water Development Board, which compiles gauge readings from USGS, USACE, river authorities and others. Forecasts come from the National Weather Service.
Values are TWDB daily estimates; elevations in feet above the vertical datum stated by TWDB. TWDB disclaimer: reservoir data are best estimates generated by the Texas Water Development Board from data collected by various providers; TWDB makes no warranties as to their fitness for any purpose. See data sources.