Home Lakes California

Folsom Lake water level

American River · California · operated by USBR (Folsom Dam)

By Mike, independent developer behind zovo.one. Readings pulled live from the same CDEC feed the operator reports to.

Folsom Lake is 45% full as of Sep 20, 2026, per CDEC data; 57.7 ft below full pool.

45 % full
below normal 57.7 ft below full pool
CDEC 437,066 acre-ft · updated Sep 20, 2026
45%
percent full
408.3
water level (ft msl)
57.7
ft below full pool
−0.13
24-hour change (ft)
466
full pool (ft ref.)
0.98M
capacity (acre-ft)

At 408.27 ft, Folsom Lake is lower than 61% of Septembers in 42 years of daily record. Full Folsom Lake almanac, $19 → what is in it

Can I launch? Yes, most ramps usable.
Lake is lower than normal; some ramps may be out of the water. Check ramp status before launching.
~30-day trend · reservoir elevation
415.3 408.3 now 408.3

Is that normal for the date?

At 408.27 ft, Folsom Lake is lower than 61% of Septembers in 42 years of daily record.

The full Folsom Lake almanac, $1942 years of daily record, the normal band for all 366 days, and a tool that tells you how often the lake has been below your ramp or dock elevation. Instant download. See a sample almanac (Lake Powell)or all 19 lakes for $79Checkout runs on Stripe under our parent company, BeLikeNative (Autom8 LLC). That name appears on the receipt and card statement.

The median for this date across 42 years is 414.05 ft, so this is -5.78 ft against the lake’s own history. Placed on a quantile ladder built from 14,209 daily readings published by CDEC for site FOL, 1985-02-12 to 2026-08-06. This reservoir typically peaks in June and bottoms out in January.

How the level compares lately

Over the roughly 30-day series the gage fell 7.0 ft; the last 24 hours moved it down 0.1 ft. For readers outside the U.S., the surface is about 124.4 m above sea level.

Check any elevation yourself. Type a level in feet above sea level (a ramp cutoff, a marina mark) to see how far it sits below full pool and in meters.

About Folsom Lake

Full pool
466 ft
Capacity
977,000 AF
Dam / operator
USBR (Folsom Dam)
River / basin
American River
State
California
Data feed
CDEC

Going to Folsom Lake?

Recreation-booking links (charters, boat rentals) appear here once partner accounts are wired. See the disclosure page.

Where these numbers come from

Every figure on this page is recomputed in code from a public government feed, never typed by hand. The live elevation is a CDEC gage reading; feet below full pool, the operating-band gaps, the ~30-day change, and the meter conversion are all derived from that one validated reading and the published reference elevations. The reading is timestamped in the gauge above, and LakeLevelNow pulls the same feed the operator reports to.

Questions about Folsom Lake

How full is Folsom Lake right now?
Folsom Lake is about 45% full as of Sep 20, 2026.
Can I launch a boat at Folsom Lake?
Lake is lower than normal; some ramps may be out of the water. Check ramp status before launching. Individual ramps open and close on their own schedules and on local hazards.
Where does Folsom Lake's level come from?
LakeLevelNow pulls it from the CDEC public water-data feed (California Data Exchange). The reading is timestamped in the gauge above.
Who operates Folsom Lake?
Folsom Lake, on the American River, is operated by USBR (Folsom Dam). Reservoir releases, flood-control drawdowns, and water-supply decisions are theirs.

More lakes in California