THE TEXAS RESERVOIR BULLETIN DAILY FIELD REPORT
Lake Buchanan Lake Level
Updated · Daily average · TWDB
Lake Buchanan is 1.63 ft below normal conservation pool and fell 0.14 ft in seven days.
Elevation above the source's sea-level reference (NAVD88 +0.26). This is not water depth or a live reading.
THE CURRENT PICTURE
Level against normal pool
The latest daily mean elevation is 1,018.37 ft. The conservation pool listed by TWDB is 1,020.00 ft (NAVD88 +0.26; metadata dated Oct 22, 2026), putting the lake 1.63 ft below that reference.
Conservation storage is 830,380 acre-feet against a conservation capacity of 866,694 acre-feet. Percent full measures stored water volume; it is not the fraction of the lake's maximum depth.
What this means on the water
At 1.63 ft below conservation pool, shoreline and ramp conditions can differ from normal-pool maps. Check the managing authority's current ramp, closure and release notices. A reservoir-wide average cannot establish clearance at a specific location.
Check official TWDB conditions →The seasonal view
Latest 12 months & four earlier years
Earlier years are shifted onto the same calendar dates. February 29 is omitted when there is no matching date. The conservation line is today's reference, which may have changed historically.
Five years of perspective
Oct 22, 2021 – Oct 22, 2026
1,827 available readings in this window. Missing dates are not interpolated. Five-year observed range: 992.05–1,020.03 ft.
BEYOND TODAY'S NUMBER
Historical highs and lows
Across 30,742 TWDB observations from Jun 30, 1938 to Oct 22, 2026 (after the reservoir first filled, isolated gauge errors excluded), the observed elevation range is 37.56 ft. The latest reading is 34.67 ft above the recorded low and 2.89 ft below the recorded high.
- Lowest observed elevation
- 983.70 ft Sep 9, 1952
- Highest observed elevation
- 1,021.26 ft Dec 21, 1991
Records refer to available observations, not instantaneous extremes. Early records may be monthly; ties show the earliest available date. Source revisions and changes in vertical datum can affect long-term comparisons.
This date in earlier years
Oct 22 · exact calendar-date matches
The current level is 11.82 ft above the average of 5 available previous-year readings on this calendar date (1,006.55 ft). This short comparison is not a long-term climate normal.
| Date | Level (ft) | Current minus that year |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2021 | 1,015.48 | +2.89 ft |
| Oct 22, 2022 | 1,002.87 | +15.50 ft |
| Oct 22, 2023 | 992.08 | +26.29 ft |
| Oct 22, 2024 | 1,004.31 | +14.06 ft |
| Oct 22, 2025 | 1,018.00 | +0.37 ft |
ON THE LAKE
Fishing at Lake Buchanan
TPWD lists these predominant fish species:
- Largemouth bass
- White bass
- Striped Bass
- Catfish
This is a species overview, not a current catch report. Changing water levels can alter access and shoreline habitat; they do not predict catch rates.
TPWD fishing guide and regulations →
No recent stocking claims are made. Check the official guide for current regulations and stocking information.
LOCATION & NEARBY WATER
Explore the area
Reservoir reference point: 30.7516° N, 98.4184° W.
View Lake Buchanan on OpenStreetMap →Nearby lakes in this guide
- Lake Travis63 km / 39 mi
- Lake Georgetown67 km / 41 mi
- Stillhouse Hollow Lake90 km / 56 mi
Straight-line distances between TWDB reference points, not driving distances.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Lake Buchanan: the details
Is Lake Buchanan full?
As of Oct 22, 2026, Lake Buchanan is 95.8% full based on conservation storage. Its daily mean elevation is 1.63 ft below the current conservation pool of 1,020.00 ft. Percent full excludes flood-pool storage.
How low is Lake Buchanan right now?
The latest available daily average is 1,018.37 ft on Oct 22, 2026, 1.63 ft below the conservation pool. This is an elevation in the source's NAVD88 +0.26 datum, not the water depth at a dock or boat ramp.
What is the lowest Lake Buchanan has been?
The lowest recorded elevation in the TWDB observations available to this site is 983.70 ft on Sep 9, 1952. The record used here runs from Jun 30, 1938 to Oct 22, 2026, starting once the reservoir first filled. Early observations may be less frequent than daily; this is not an instantaneous or guaranteed all-time minimum.
Is Lake Buchanan rising or falling?
Lake Buchanan fell 0.14 ft in seven days. The 30-day change is -0.11 ft. These changes compare daily average elevations on exact dates, rather than instantaneous measurements.
Sources & update notes
Updated Oct 22, 2026 (latest daily observation). Collection and deployment are scheduled every six hours; upstream readings can lag. Daily averages may differ from the latest instantaneous gauge.
- TWDB Water Data for Texas: Lake Buchanan · complete historical CSV
- TWDB recent conditions GeoJSON: reservoir location and conservation pool
- Texas Parks & Wildlife fishing information
- Calculation methods, missing data and limitations
TWDB data are provisional and subject to revision. Pool targets and capacity estimates can change. This independent guide is not affiliated with TWDB or TPWD.