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Lake Isabella water level

Kern River · California · operated by USACE (Isabella Dam)

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

Lake Isabella is 38% full as of Aug 5, 2026, per CDEC data; 5.8 ft below full pool.

38 % full
low 5.8 ft below full pool
CDEC 213,348 acre-ft · updated Aug 5, 2026
38%
percent full
2,567.2
water level (ft msl)
5.8
ft below full pool
−0.28
24-hour change (ft)
2,573
full pool (ft ref.)
0.57M
capacity (acre-ft)
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
2,577 2,567 now 2,567

How the level compares lately

Over the roughly 30-day series the gage fell 10.2 ft; the last 24 hours moved it down 0.3 ft. For readers outside the U.S., the surface is about 782.5 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 Lake Isabella

Full pool
2,573 ft
Capacity
568,075 AF
Dam / operator
USACE (Isabella Dam)
River / basin
Kern River
State
California
Data feed
CDEC

Going to Lake Isabella?

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 Lake Isabella

How full is Lake Isabella right now?
Lake Isabella is about 38% full as of Aug 5, 2026.
Can I launch a boat at Lake Isabella?
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 Lake Isabella'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 Lake Isabella?
Lake Isabella, on the Kern River, is operated by USACE (Isabella Dam). Reservoir releases, flood-control drawdowns, and water-supply decisions are theirs.

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