THE TEXAS RESERVOIR BULLETIN DAILY FIELD REPORT
Belton Lake Level
Updated · Daily average · TWDB
Belton Lake is 1.15 ft below normal conservation pool and fell 0.25 ft in seven days.
Elevation above the source's sea-level reference (NGVD29). This is not water depth or a live reading.
THE CURRENT PICTURE
Level against normal pool
The latest daily mean elevation is 592.85 ft. The conservation pool listed by TWDB is 594.00 ft (NGVD29; metadata dated Oct 22, 2026), putting the lake 1.15 ft below that reference.
Conservation storage is 418,493 acre-feet against a conservation capacity of 432,631 acre-feet. Percent full measures stored water volume; it is not the fraction of the lake's maximum depth.
What this means on the water
At 1.15 ft below conservation pool, shoreline and ramp conditions can differ from normal-pool maps. Check the managing authority's current ramp, closure and release notices. A reservoir-wide average cannot establish clearance at a specific location.
Check official TWDB conditions →The seasonal view
Latest 12 months & four earlier years
Earlier years are shifted onto the same calendar dates. February 29 is omitted when there is no matching date. The conservation line is today's reference, which may have changed historically.
Five years of perspective
Oct 22, 2021 – Oct 22, 2026
1,827 available readings in this window. Missing dates are not interpolated. Five-year observed range: 574.64–612.45 ft.
BEYOND TODAY'S NUMBER
Historical highs and lows
Across 12,509 TWDB observations from Mar 9, 1988 to Oct 22, 2026 (after the reservoir first filled, isolated gauge errors excluded), the observed elevation range is 54.98 ft. The latest reading is 18.21 ft above the recorded low and 36.77 ft below the recorded high.
- Lowest observed elevation
- 574.64 ft Oct 22, 2023
- Highest observed elevation
- 629.62 ft Jul 17, 2007
Records refer to available observations, not instantaneous extremes. Early records may be monthly; ties show the earliest available date. Source revisions and changes in vertical datum can affect long-term comparisons.
This date in earlier years
Oct 22 · exact calendar-date matches
The current level is 6.08 ft above the average of 5 available previous-year readings on this calendar date (586.77 ft). This short comparison is not a long-term climate normal.
| Date | Level (ft) | Current minus that year |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2021 | 592.88 | -0.03 ft |
| Oct 22, 2022 | 581.01 | +11.84 ft |
| Oct 22, 2023 | 574.64 | +18.21 ft |
| Oct 22, 2024 | 592.00 | +0.85 ft |
| Oct 22, 2025 | 593.34 | -0.49 ft |
ON THE LAKE
Fishing at Belton Lake
TPWD lists these predominant fish species:
- Largemouth bass
- Smallmouth bass
- Channel & flathead catfish
- White & hybrid striped bass
- Sunfish
This is a species overview, not a current catch report. Changing water levels can alter access and shoreline habitat; they do not predict catch rates.
TPWD fishing guide and regulations →
No recent stocking claims are made. Check the official guide for current regulations and stocking information.
LOCATION & NEARBY WATER
Explore the area
Reservoir reference point: 31.1063° N, 97.4747° W.
View Belton Lake on OpenStreetMap →Nearby lakes in this guide
- Stillhouse Hollow Lake11 km / 7 mi
- Lake Georgetown54 km / 34 mi
- Lake Whitney85 km / 53 mi
Straight-line distances between TWDB reference points, not driving distances.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Belton Lake: the details
Is Belton Lake full?
As of Oct 22, 2026, Belton Lake is 96.7% full based on conservation storage. Its daily mean elevation is 1.15 ft below the current conservation pool of 594.00 ft. Percent full excludes flood-pool storage.
How low is Belton Lake right now?
The latest available daily average is 592.85 ft on Oct 22, 2026, 1.15 ft below the conservation pool. This is an elevation in the source's NGVD29 datum, not the water depth at a dock or boat ramp.
What is the lowest Belton Lake has been?
The lowest recorded elevation in the TWDB observations available to this site is 574.64 ft on Oct 22, 2023. The record used here runs from Mar 9, 1988 to Oct 22, 2026, starting once the reservoir first filled. Early observations may be less frequent than daily; this is not an instantaneous or guaranteed all-time minimum.
Is Belton Lake rising or falling?
Belton Lake fell 0.25 ft in seven days. The 30-day change is +0.40 ft. These changes compare daily average elevations on exact dates, rather than instantaneous measurements.
Sources & update notes
Updated Oct 22, 2026 (latest daily observation). Collection and deployment are scheduled every six hours; upstream readings can lag. Daily averages may differ from the latest instantaneous gauge.
- TWDB Water Data for Texas: Belton Lake · complete historical CSV
- TWDB recent conditions GeoJSON: reservoir location and conservation pool
- Texas Parks & Wildlife fishing information
- Calculation methods, missing data and limitations
TWDB data are provisional and subject to revision. Pool targets and capacity estimates can change. This independent guide is not affiliated with TWDB or TPWD.