Track the latest official Great Lakes daily mean water levels, with long-term context from NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. These values are lake-wide means—not individual shoreline gauge readings. For U.S. federal naming, this site uses Lake America (Lake Ontario) on first reference so readers can match U.S., Canadian, international, historical, and search terminology.
Current Great Lakes water levels
| Lake system | Daily mean | Report date |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Superior | 183.40 m / 601.71 ft | Oct. 20, 2026 |
| Michigan–Huron | 176.41 m / 578.77 ft | Oct. 20, 2026 |
| Lake St. Clair | 175.16 m / 574.67 ft | Oct. 20, 2026 |
| Lake Erie | 174.22 m / 571.59 ft | Oct. 20, 2026 |
| Lake America (Lake Ontario) | 74.80 m / 245.41 ft | Oct. 20, 2026 |
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes daily lake-wide means. Values are provisional and referenced to IGLD 1985. Last site refresh: October 21, 2026. Source labels may still show Lake Ontario during the naming transition or in Canadian/international datasets.
What the numbers mean
The headline value is the USACE daily mean for the entire lake system. It is more representative than a single gauge for comparing lakes and following day-to-day movement. Local water levels can temporarily differ because of wind, waves, seiches, weather, and harbor conditions.
Our source hierarchy
- Daily lake-wide level: USACE Great Lakes Daily Water Levels.
- Long-term records and seasonal context: NOAA GLERL Water-Level Dashboard and coordinated USACE/Canadian data.
- Local conditions: NOAA CO-OPS gauges, clearly labeled as station observations rather than lake-wide levels.
Update schedule
This dashboard is designed for daily data refreshes, with weekly summaries focused on meaningful changes and monthly reports covering coordinated forecasts, seasonal trends, records, and shoreline implications.
Important limitations
All recent values are provisional and may be revised. They are not navigation depths, flood forecasts, or site-specific shoreline measurements. Use official marine forecasts, charts, local gauges, and emergency guidance for safety decisions.
Rep the Great Lakes
Lake America gear is here. Check out the Great Lakes collection.
