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Lake Water Levels

What is a normal lake level? Lake Springfield is full when the water surface is at the nominal pool elevation of 560 feet above mean sea level. If the lake is 1.5 feet below full pool, the lake elevation will be registered as 558.5. CWLP Water Division employees take great care to track lake levels and to maintain optimum levels to ensure there will always be a sufficient quantity of water available to meet the city's drinking water needs.


How CWLP Measures the Lake Level Read More   

How CWLP Maintains the Lake Level Read More   

Lake Level Readings

The table below shows water level readings taken at Lake Springfield over the past year. For comparative purposes, it also includes readings for the same date in the previous year, as well as the average levels for each month (as recorded from 1936 through last calendar year). During periods of normal to above-normal lake elevation, readings will be recorded no more than once per week (usually on Friday). If declining levels become a concern, readings will be posted more frequently.

In addition to the table below, the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Central Illinois posts daily Lake Springfield lake level and rain fall data that you can access.
NWS Central Illinois

Lake Springfield's full pool level is 560 feet above sea level. When water rises above that elevation, it will overflow the gates of Spaulding Dam. The highest level ever recorded at Lake Springfield was 564.5 feet (4.5 feet above full pool) on April 12, 1994. The lowest level ever recorded since the lake originally reached full pool in May 1935 was 547.44 feet (12.56 feet below full pool) on December 29, 1954. For more information about the importance of maintaining an adequate water level in Lake Springfield, see How CWLP Maintains the Lake Level.

All readings are taken at the CWLP Plant Complex, 3100 Stevenson Drive. The table below shows the last 2 years of reads.

Date Current Year Level Previous Year Level Avg. Monthly Level
2/7/2025 559.57' 559.59' 558.25'
1/31/2025 559.60' 559.56' 558.10'
1/24/2025 559.57' 559.66' 558.10'
1/17/2025 559.61' 559.60' 558.10'
1/10/2025 559.53' 559.28' 558.10'
1/3/2025 559.57' 558.97' 558.10'
12/27/2024 559.70' 558.85' 558.02'
12/20/2024 559.69' 558.73' 558.02'
12/13/2024 559.42' 558.69' 558.02'
12/6/2024 559.50' 558.68' 558.02'
11/29/2024 559.57' 558.40' 557.98'
11/22/2024 559.54' 559.57' 557.98'
11/15/2024 559.56' 558.53' 557.98'
11/8/2024 559.54' 558.67' 557.98'
11/1/2024 558.19' 558.70' 557.98'
10/25/2024 558.30' 558.65' 558.18'
10/18/2024 558.39' 558.76' 558.18'
10/11/2024 558.66' 558.76' 558.18'
10/4/2024 558.82' 558.82' 558.18'
9/27/2024 558.97' 558.99' 558.59'
9/20/2024 558.99' 559.05' 558.59'
9/13/2024 559.21' 559.26' 558.59'
9/6/2024 559.49' 559.50' 558.59'
8/30/2024 559.62' 559.73' 559.05'
8/23/2024 559.79' 560.00' 559.05'
8/16/2024 559.94' 560.23' 559.05'
8/9/2024 559.95' 559.80' 559.05'
8/2/2024 560.16' 559.71' 559.05'
7/26/2024 559.85' 559.95' 559.51'
7/19/2024 559.99' 560.08' 559.51'
7/12/2024 559.85' 560.11' 559.51'
7/5/2024 559.87' 560.30' 559.51'
6/28/2024 560.00' 559.73' 559.80'
6/21/2024 560.09' 559.87' 559.80'
6/14/2024 560.30' 560.04' 559.80'
6/7/2024 560.55' 560.10' 559.80'
5/31/2024 560.49' 560.25' 559.73'
5/24/2024 560.24' 560.45' 559.73'
5/17/2024 560.38' 560.56' 559.73'
5/10/2024 560.50' 560.58' 559.73'
5/3/2024 560.58' 560.16' 559.73'
4/26/2024 560.16' 560.18' 559.33'
4/19/2024 559.97' 560.02' 559.33'
4/12/2024 559.59' 559.59' 559.33'
4/5/2024 559.53' 559.63' 559.33'
3/29/2024 559.58' 559.55' 558.74'
3/22/2024 559.63' 559.53' 558.74'
3/15/2024 559.54' 559.63' 558.74'
3/8/2024 559.65' 559.62' 558.74'
3/1/2024 559.65' 559.57' 558.74'
2/23/2024 559.56' 559.56' 558.25'
2/16/2024 559.53' 559.66' 558.25'
2/9/2024 559.51' 559.73' 558.25'
2/2/2024 559.69' 559.60' 558.25'
1/26/2024 559.61' 559.67' 558.09'
1/19/2024 559.63' 559.70' 558.09'
1/12/2024 559.51' 559.56' 558.09'
1/5/2024 558.96' 559.55' 558.09'
12/29/2023 558.91' 559.61' 558.02'
12/22/2023 558.74' 559.69' 558.02'
12/15/2023 558.67' 559.59' 558.02'
12/8/2023 558.72' 559.61' 558.02'
12/1/2023 558.47' 559.55' 558.02'
11/24/2023 558.43' 559.55' 557.98'
11/17/2023 558.51' 559.79' 557.98'
11/10/2023 558.62' 560.30' 557.98'
11/3/2023 558.68' 560.15' 557.98'
10/27/2023 558.58' 559.94' 558.18'
10/20/2023 558.74' 559.76' 558.18'
10/13/2023 558.72' 559.96' 558.18'
10/6/2023 558.92' 560.07' 558.18'
9/29/2023 558.93' 560.20' 558.59'
9/22/2023 558.97' 560.48' 558.59'
9/15/2023 559.17' 560.02' 558.59'
9/8/2023 559.41' 560.25' 558.59'
9/1/2023 559.65' 560.55' 558.59'
8/25/2023 559.93' 560.09' 559.05'
8/18/2023 560.14' 560.08' 559.05'
8/11/2023 560.39' 560.37' 559.05'
8/4/2023 559.66' 560.33' 559.05'
7/28/2023 559.89' 560.26' 559.51'
7/21/2023 560.05' 560.42' 559.51'
7/14/2023 560.09' 560.47' 559.51'
7/7/2023 560.33' 560.30' 559.51'
6/30/2023 559.78' 560.45' 559.80'
6/23/2023 559.86' 560.44' 559.80'
6/16/2023 560.00' 560.50' 559.80'
6/9/2023 560.07' 560.49' 559.80'
6/2/2023 560.21' 560.57' 559.80'
5/26/2023 560.35' 560.53' 559.72'
5/19/2023 560.62' 560.34' 559.72'
5/12/2023 560.62' 560.45' 559.72'
5/5/2023 560.17' 560.42' 559.72'
4/28/2023 560.19' 560.33' 559.33'
4/21/2023 560.11' 559.96' 559.33'
4/14/2023 559.70' 559.61' 559.33'
4/7/2023 559.57' 559.58' 559.33'
3/31/2023 559.57' 559.67' 558.74'
3/24/2023 559.64' 559.54' 558.74'
3/17/2023 559.65' 559.62' 558.74'
3/10/2023 559.61' 559.57' 558.74'
3/3/2023 559.58' 559.59' 558.74'
2/24/2023 559.60' 559.55' 558.24'
2/17/2023 559.60' 559.57' 558.24'
2/10/2023 559.48' 559.57' 558.24'