Overview
Amistad Reservoir is a roughly 64,900-acre international reservoir on the Rio Grande at the confluence of the Devils and Pecos rivers near Del Rio, spanning Val Verde County, Texas, and Coahuila, Mexico. Amistad Dam was completed in the late 1960s and is operated by the International Boundary and Water Commission for water storage, flood control, hydroelectric power, and recreation under the U.S.–Mexico water treaties.
With about 851 miles of shoreline, an average depth near 60 feet, and a maximum depth of about 217 feet, Amistad is a deep canyon reservoir cut into limestone and desert hills. Broad open-water basins, river arms, rocky points, and submerged ledges create diverse habitat, and the arid setting keeps much of the shoreline scenic and lightly developed compared with many Texas metro lakes.
The lake is known for striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, catfish, and white bass, and it draws boaters and anglers from both sides of the border. Fisheries on the Texas side are managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, with National Park Service and state park access, marinas, and boat ramps supporting recreation around the reservoir.
Water levels are managed by the IBWC around a conservation pool of 1,117 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), with flood storage extending to about 1,140.4 feet. Elevations track Rio Grande basin inflows, treaty deliveries, and flood operations shared with Mexico. Downstream on the same river system, Falcon Lake is another major IBWC reservoir, so monitoring current Amistad levels matters for boating, fishing, and shoreline access.
Current Conditions
Amistad Reservoir is currently 60.22 feet below full pool and has remained relatively stable over the past seven days.
- 7-day trendStableLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.01 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.32 ft
- Drought conditionsAbnormally Dry
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Amistad Reservoir is a 64,900-acre reservoir on the Rio Grande managed by International Boundary and Water Commission.