THE TEXAS RESERVOIR BULLETIN DAILY FIELD REPORT
Sam Rayburn Lake Level
Updated · Daily average · TWDB
Sam Rayburn Reservoir is 11.19 ft below normal conservation pool and fell 0.32 ft in seven days.
Elevation above the source's sea-level reference (NGVD29). This is not water depth or a live reading.
THE CURRENT PICTURE
Level against normal pool
The latest daily mean elevation is 153.21 ft. The conservation pool listed by TWDB is 164.40 ft (NGVD29; metadata dated Oct 22, 2026), putting the lake 11.19 ft below that reference.
Conservation storage is 1,765,944 acre-feet against a conservation capacity of 2,857,077 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 11.19 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: 153.21–172.43 ft.
BEYOND TODAY'S NUMBER
Historical highs and lows
Across 13,792 TWDB observations from Oct 2, 1988 to Oct 22, 2026 (after the reservoir first filled, isolated gauge errors excluded), the observed elevation range is 24.47 ft. The latest reading is 2.46 ft above the recorded low and 22.01 ft below the recorded high.
- Lowest observed elevation
- 150.75 ft Aug 11, 1996
- Highest observed elevation
- 175.22 ft Jun 3, 2021
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 6.21 ft below the average of 5 available previous-year readings on this calendar date (159.42 ft). This short comparison is not a long-term climate normal.
| Date | Level (ft) | Current minus that year |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2021 | 161.83 | -8.62 ft |
| Oct 22, 2022 | 158.40 | -5.19 ft |
| Oct 22, 2023 | 158.53 | -5.32 ft |
| Oct 22, 2024 | 162.31 | -9.10 ft |
| Oct 22, 2025 | 156.04 | -2.83 ft |
ON THE LAKE
Fishing at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
TPWD lists these predominant fish species:
- Largemouth bass
- Crappie
- Catfish
- White bass
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: 31.0608° N, 94.1060° W.
View Sam Rayburn Reservoir on OpenStreetMap →Nearby lakes in this guide
- Toledo Bend Reservoir53 km / 33 mi
- Lake Livingston99 km / 61 mi
- Lake Conroe160 km / 99 mi
Straight-line distances between TWDB reference points, not driving distances.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Sam Rayburn Reservoir: the details
Is Sam Rayburn Reservoir full?
As of Oct 22, 2026, Sam Rayburn Reservoir is 61.8% full based on conservation storage. Its daily mean elevation is 11.19 ft below the current conservation pool of 164.40 ft. Percent full excludes flood-pool storage.
How low is Sam Rayburn Reservoir right now?
The latest available daily average is 153.21 ft on Oct 22, 2026, 11.19 ft below the conservation pool. This is an elevation in the source's NGVD29 datum, not the water depth at a dock or boat ramp.
What is the lowest Sam Rayburn Reservoir has been?
The lowest recorded elevation in the TWDB observations available to this site is 150.75 ft on Aug 11, 1996. The record used here runs from Oct 2, 1988 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 Sam Rayburn Reservoir rising or falling?
Sam Rayburn Reservoir fell 0.32 ft in seven days. The 30-day change is -1.25 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: Sam Rayburn Reservoir · 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.