What Lake Travis Water Level does
One place to check the lake: the current level, the weather, and what both mean for launching, swimming, or camping today.
Our mission
Lake Travis Water Level turns readings from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and the National Weather Service into one answer: what the lake is doing today, and what that means for launching a boat, swimming, or camping. The level updates every 30 minutes.
Every number names its source, and the wording stays plain — feet above sea level, percent full, and how far the lake sits from the level where ramps and beaches close.
About the lake
Lake Travis is a reservoir on the Colorado River in central Texas, about 13 miles northwest of Austin. It was created in 1942 by the construction of Mansfield Dam and holds roughly 1.1 million acre-feet of water when full (681 feet above sea level).
People come for boating, fishing, swimming, and lakeside relaxing. Its level rises and falls with rainfall, dam releases, and the water needs of cities and farms downstream. For reservoir drought context — current status, historic lows, and how conservation pool works — see the drought conditions page. For how the lake came to be, read the history of Lake Travis.
Where the data comes from
- LCRA HydrometLake level, storage and dam releases. Water temperature from the Mansfield Dam buoy (station 396299). (opens in a new tab)
- National Weather ServiceForecasts, wind and rainfall for the Lake Travis area. (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Geological SurveyRiver gauges on the way to the lake. (opens in a new tab)
- Texas Water Development BoardReservoir storage and percent full. (opens in a new tab)
Everything here refreshes roughly every 30 minutes (river gauges and drought maps on their own schedules).