Overview
Lake Mead is a roughly 158,500-acre reservoir on the Colorado River along the Nevada-Arizona line, formed when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation completed Hoover Dam in the mid-1930s. At high water the lake extends more than 100 miles upstream toward the Grand Canyon and up the Virgin River arm. The project stores Colorado River water for flood control, municipal and industrial supply, irrigation, and hydropower, while the National Park Service administers recreation in Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
With about 759 miles of shoreline at full pool, an average depth near 70 feet, and a maximum depth of about 532 feet near the dam, Mead is a deep desert canyon reservoir of flooded side canyons, broad basins, and steep rock walls. Surface area and usable shoreline shrink dramatically as the pool falls, exposing former marina sites and changing navigation routes through the Boulder, Virgin, and Overton arms.
The lake is a major Southwest destination for boating, paddling, camping, and fishing for striped bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and other species. Nevada and Arizona anglers should consult their state wildlife agencies for regulations; public ramps, marinas, and campgrounds ring the reservoir when water levels allow access.
Reclamation operates Lake Mead under Colorado River compact rules rather than a simple seasonal winter drawdown. Elevations are reported on the Hoover Dam Power House Datum (approximately mean sea level; about 0.55 feet can be added to convert toward NGVD29). The high-water / top of exclusive flood-control space is 1,229 feet, with substantial joint-use storage below that elevation. Because drought, Upper Basin supply, and Lower Basin deliveries can move the pool tens of feet over years—and because ramps and marinas depend on elevation—monitoring current lake levels is essential for boating safety and shoreline access.
Current Conditions
Lake Mead is currently 189.21 feet below full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.45 ft
- 30-day changeDown 2.24 ft
- Drought conditionsModerate Drought
- Active advisories1 active (Advisory)
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Mead is a 158,500-acre reservoir on the Colorado River managed by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.