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Choke Canyon Reservoir Water Level Today
As of , Choke Canyon Reservoir's water level is 190.65 ft: 29.8 ft below full pool (220.5 ft), 21.3% full and 11.3 ft below normal for the date.
Texas · Official data from the Texas Water Development Board
Water level today · November 14, 2026 (daily reading)
Normal for the date
−11.3 ft from the typical level for this date
190.65 ft above sea level
Very low storage: only 21.3% full
- vs full pool
- −29.8 ft
- Storage
- 21.3% full
- Past 7 days
- +0.3 ft
- vs 1 year ago
- +8.8 ft
What do these numbers mean?
- Water level
- The height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, as measured by the official gauge.
- Full pool
- The level the lake is normally kept at when it is full (top of conservation pool). Above it, the lake is storing flood water.
- Normal for the date
- The typical (median) level on this calendar date across 2006-2025. The normal range is where the lake stood in 8 of 10 years.
- % full
- How much of the reservoir's conservation storage is in use, as reported by the Texas Water Development Board.
Choke Canyon Reservoir water level chart (last 2 years)
Over the last two years, Choke Canyon Reservoir ranged from 178.2 ft on May 18, 2026 to 192.9 ft on August 1, 2026, and today it is 8.8 ft higher than on the same day last year.
About Choke Canyon Reservoir
Choke Canyon Reservoir lies on the Frio River about four miles west of Three Rivers. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built it as part of the Nueces River Project; the dam was substantially complete on May 18, 1982. It is operated together with Lake Corpus Christi downstream: the two lakes are designed to deliver 252,000 acre-feet of water a year for municipal and industrial use, about 139,000 of that from Choke Canyon. With a conservation capacity of 662,820 acre-feet it is the bigger of the two, so its level largely sets Corpus Christi's water outlook. Full conservation pool is 220.5 ft.
Choke Canyon highs and lows
The lake has rarely been full. It reached 223.46 ft in September 2002, its highest daily level in the Texas Water Development Board record. Since then it has spent long stretches far lower, and on May 18, 2026 it fell to 178.24 ft (7.1% full), its lowest level since it first filled. Even after the 2026 summer floods it stood at only about 21% full in late October 2026.
Sources: Bureau of Reclamation: Choke Canyon Dam · TWDB daily storage record · Texas Parks and Wildlife: Choke Canyon · Choke Canyon State Park · City of Corpus Christi: water supply dashboard
How full is Choke Canyon Reservoir right now?
Choke Canyon Reservoir is 29.9 ft below full pool (220.5 ft). By conservation storage the reservoir is 21.3% full.
Over the past 7 days the level rose 0.27 ft; over 30 days it fell 0.1 ft.
One year ago the lake stood at 181.9 ft, so it is +8.8 ft compared with the same day last year.
Is Choke Canyon Reservoir above or below normal?
For November 14, the normal level is about 202.0 ft (the normal range is 188.6 ft to 215.8 ft). Today's level is −11.3 ft compared with normal, within the normal range.
Texas Parks and Wildlife describes the level changes at Choke Canyon as high and frequent, 10 to 20 feet, so compare today's reading with the normal range below rather than with full pool.
Recent history
| Highest daily level (last 2 years) | 192.90 ft | August 1, 2026 |
| Lowest daily level (last 2 years) | 178.24 ft | May 18, 2026 |
| Same day last year | 181.89 ft | +8.8 ft vs today |
| Full pool | 220.50 ft | top of conservation pool |
Choke Canyon Reservoir record high and low
| Record high (daily level since 1999) | 223.46 ft | September 12, 2002 |
| Record low (daily level since 1999) | 178.24 ft | May 18, 2026 |
| About 5 years ago | 203.24 ft | October 20, 2021 |
Records cover the daily readings published by the Texas Water Development Board from October 1, 1999 until October 20, 2026. Older extremes, before the gauge record starts, are not included.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the water level of Choke Canyon Reservoir today?
- The latest reading is 190.65 ft above sea level, reported by the Texas Water Development Board on November 14, 2026.
- Is Choke Canyon Reservoir full?
- No. Choke Canyon Reservoir is 29.9 ft below its full pool of 220.5 ft and 21.3% full by conservation storage.
- What is a normal water level for Choke Canyon Reservoir at this time of year?
- Based on daily readings from 2006-2025, the typical (median) level for this date is 202.0 ft, and 8 out of 10 years fall between 188.6 ft and 215.8 ft.
- What is the full pool elevation of Choke Canyon Reservoir?
- Full pool for Choke Canyon Reservoir is 220.5 ft (top of conservation pool), according to the Texas Water Development Board.
- What were the highest and lowest levels in the last two years?
- The highest daily level in the last two years was 192.9 ft on August 1, 2026; the lowest was 178.2 ft on May 18, 2026.
- What is the lowest water level ever recorded at Choke Canyon Reservoir?
- In the official daily record since 1999, the lowest level of Choke Canyon Reservoir was 178.2 ft on May 18, 2026.
- What is the highest water level ever recorded at Choke Canyon Reservoir?
- In the official daily record since 1999, the highest level of Choke Canyon Reservoir was 223.5 ft on September 12, 2002.
- How close is Choke Canyon Reservoir to its record low?
- Today's level is 12.4 ft above the record low of 178.2 ft (May 18, 2026) and 32.8 ft below the record high of 223.5 ft (September 12, 2002).
Boating and fishing at Choke Canyon Reservoir
Choke Canyon covers about 25,670 acres and is up to 95.5 feet deep. Choke Canyon State Park has two units: Calliham, with campsites, boat ramps, fish-cleaning shelters and a bait shop, and South Shore, a day-use area with a boat ramp. The lake is known for largemouth and white bass, crappie, catfish and trophy alligator gar; Texas Parks and Wildlife notes that anglers frequently catch gar over six feet long. Official information: Choke Canyon State Park (Texas Parks & Wildlife Department).
Where this data comes from
The water level is published by the Texas Water Development Board (station ChokeCanyon) and refreshed on this page every day. Full pool comes from Texas Water Development Board; the normal range is calculated from official daily readings for 2006-2025. Recent readings are provisional and may be revised. See data sources & methodology.
The City of Corpus Christi publishes the combined storage of Choke Canyon and Lake Corpus Christi on its water supply dashboard; that combined figure decides the city's water restrictions.
Download the daily levels for Choke Canyon Reservoir (CSV, last 2 years)