Upper Red Lake At Waskish Reservoir
As of September 14, 2026, Upper Red Lake At Waskish is holding 73 ft of water — 99% of normal storage for this date. Storage data refreshed throughout the day.
Upper Red Lake At Waskish
Upper Red Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Minnesota and is located near Waskish. The lake was formed during the last glacial period and has a total surface area of 288 square miles. It is fed by several rivers and streams, including the Tamarac River and the Blackduck River. The lake is known for its excellent fishing, especially for walleye, and is also popular for recreational activities such as boating and ice fishing.
The hydrology of Upper Red Lake is influenced by its large catchment area and the surrounding topography. The lake has a shallow basin that is prone to fluctuating water levels, which can be affected by precipitation, evaporation, and human activities such as damming and dredging.
Snowmelt and precipitation are the primary sources of surface flow to Upper Red Lake. The lake also receives water from groundwater seepage and runoff from agricultural lands in the surrounding area. However, agricultural activities have been limited due to the potential for runoff contamination and negative impacts on water quality.
Overall, Upper Red Lake is a valuable natural resource for the local community and provides important habitat for fish and wildlife. However, ongoing efforts are needed to monitor and manage the lake's hydrology and water quality to ensure its continued health and productivity.
Daily levels at Upper Red Lake At Waskish
Storage volume, pool elevation, and total release plotted from the operating agency's daily observations.
Gage height, ft
ft · code 00065
Precipitation, total, in
in · code 00045
Inside the reservoir
The real shoreline of this water body, with a depth model scaled so the basin holds exactly its recorded storage. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, and use the slider to drain and refill it. Click anywhere on the basin for the modelled depth there.
How this is built. The shoreline is the National Hydrography
Dataset polygon for this water body,
matched to the dam by proximity and confirmed by comparing its area with the
National Inventory of Dams surface area.
Depth is modelled, not surveyed: the basin is shaped by distance from
shore — deep in open water, shallow in the bays — and scaled so its
volume equals the recorded storage. No national bathymetric survey exists for
US reservoirs. Treat the shoreline, area and volume as measured, and the depth
distribution as an informed approximation.
Above normal pool, water is shown rising within the normal-pool
shoreline. Where it would actually spread depends on the surrounding
terrain, which is not modelled here — a reservoir in a steep canyon barely
widens, one on flat ground can spread a long way. This is a depth and volume
figure, not an inundation map. Official inundation mapping for a dam
comes from its Emergency Action Plan.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Upper Red Lake At Waskish -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid River Near Baudette | 104 cfs | → |
| Big Fork River At Big Falls | 63 cfs | → |
| Red Lake River Near Red Lake | 36 cfs | → |
| Little Fork River At Littlefork | 124 cfs | → |
| Mississippi River Near Bemidji | 103 cfs | → |
About Upper Red Lake At Waskish
What is the water level at Upper Red Lake At Waskish Reservoir right now?
As of September 14, 2026, Upper Red Lake At Waskish Reservoir is holding 73 ft, about 99% of normal for this date. Pool elevation and the year-over-year trend are shown above.
Is Upper Red Lake At Waskish Reservoir high or low right now?
Compare the percent-of-normal figure on this page: above 100% means storage is higher than the historical average for the date (a wet year), below 100% means lower (a dry year or drought). The daily-levels chart shows the current trend.
Where does the data for Upper Red Lake At Waskish come from?
Daily storage, pool elevation, and release rates are sourced from USGS, USBR, and USACE monitoring stations. Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
Storage observations are updated daily by the operating agency. The 15-day weather forecast refreshes throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- check the "as of" timestamp on the storage card.
What does the Hazard hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card below for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this reservoir, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
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