Overview
Lake Roosevelt (Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake) is the roughly 150-mile-long Columbia River reservoir behind Grand Coulee Dam in northeastern Washington. Operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, it stores water for hydropower, irrigation (Columbia Basin Project), flood risk management, and recreation within Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. Grand Coulee is among the largest concrete structures and hydropower complexes in North America.
At full pool near 1,290 feet the lake covers about 80,000-82,000 acres with more than 600 miles of shoreline. Depths approach 400 feet near the dam and shoal toward the Canadian border, with basalt cliffs, the Spokane Arm, and long riverine reaches. The Spokane Arm, Sanpoil Arm, and main Columbia stem fish differently as depth and turbidity change.
Walleye, rainbow trout, kokanee, and smallmouth bass draw anglers under tribal and WDFW management frameworks. NPS recreation sites, ramps, and campgrounds provide public access along much of the reservoir. Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area manages dozens of boat-in and drive-to recreation sites.
Grand Coulee operations can move the pool tens of feet seasonally for flood control and power. Full pool is about 1,290 feet above mean sea level; large drawdowns expose beaches and change marina access, so monitoring current lake levels is essential before launching or camping on the shore. Spring draft for flood control and later refill for irrigation/power are the main seasonal elevation story.
Current Conditions
Lake Roosevelt is currently 9.7 feet below full pool and has been falling over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 2.40 ft
- 30-day changeDown 8.50 ft
- Drought conditionsModerate Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Roosevelt is a 81,000-acre reservoir on the Columbia River managed by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Grand Coulee Dam); NPS Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.