Lake Buchanan
Source: Texas Water Development Board (Water Data for Texas)
SE 5 to 10 mph · rain 1%
SE 5 mph · rain 1%
Level history
Field notes
As of Oct 25, 2026, Lake Buchanan stood at 1,018.34 ft, which is 95.7% of its conservation capacity.
That is 1.66 ft below the conservation (full) pool elevation of 1,020.00 ft.
The level has been roughly steady over the past week (−0.05 ft).
Compared with a year ago (1,018.15 ft), the lake is 0.19 ft higher.
For this time of year, the median in TWDB's records (1996–2025, 30 years with data) is 82.6% full, so Buchanan is currently above normal by 13.1 percentage points.
In TWDB's dataset (since 1937), the highest level recorded is 1,021.26 ft (Dec 21, 1991) and the lowest is 966.90 ft (Sep 30, 1937). Older records may be monthly rather than daily.
Lake facts
| Conservation storage | 829,717 ac-ft |
|---|---|
| Total storage (latest) | 843,379 ac-ft |
| Surface area | 22,117 acres |
| Gauge location | 30.7516, -98.4184 |
| Groups | Colorado River Basin Lower Colorado (Region K) Water Planning Area Water supply for Austin |
Reference levels
| Level · source | Elevation | Today vs level |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation (full) pool TWDB | 1,020.00 ft | −1.66 ft |
| Dead pool TWDB | 937.00 ft | +81.34 ft |
| Highest in TWDB data (since 1937) TWDB series | 1,021.26 ft Dec 21, 1991 | −2.92 ft |
| Lowest in TWDB data (since 1937) TWDB series | 966.90 ft Sep 30, 1937 | +51.44 ft |
| Normal range for this date TWDB series, 30 years 1996–2025 | 55.9–95.6% full (median 82.6%) | — |
| Conservation capacity TWDB | 866,694 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 Lake Buchanan right now?
As of Oct 25, 2026, TWDB reports Lake Buchanan at 95.7% of its conservation capacity (829,717 of 866,694 acre-feet). For this date, the middle half of past years (1996–2025) ranged from 55.9% to 95.6% full, with a median of 82.6%.
What is the record high and low at Lake Buchanan?
In TWDB's records since 1937, the highest level is 1,021.26 ft (Dec 21, 1991) and the lowest is 966.90 ft (Sep 30, 1937).
What is full pool at Lake Buchanan?
The conservation (full) pool elevation used by TWDB is 1,020.00 ft. The lake is currently 1.66 ft below it.
Is Lake Buchanan rising or falling?
Over the last 7 days it changed −0.05 ft and over 30 days −0.07 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.