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Reservoir Report

Lake Francis Case(am Creek Bay) At Chamberlain Reservoir

South-Dakota, USA USGS

As of September 18, 2026, Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain is holding 55 ft of water — 97% of normal storage for this date. Storage data refreshed throughout the day.

Today high
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Tonight low
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Current storage
55ft
% of normal
97%
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Right now · current storage
Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain
USGS · 06442996
55 ft
As of 2026-09-18
Seasonal avg
57
Record max
84
24h change
0.4%
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Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain -- South-Dakota reservoir
Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain South-Dakota
About this reservoir

Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain

Lake Francis Case is a reservoir located on the Missouri River in Chamberlain, South Dakota. The reservoir was created by the construction of the Francis Case Dam, which was completed in 1966. The lake is used for hydroelectric power generation, irrigation, and recreational activities such as fishing and boating.

The hydrology of the lake is influenced by the Missouri River system, which is fed by snowmelt and rainfall from the Rocky Mountains. The reservoir receives water from the James River, the White River, and other tributaries. The lake also receives water from snowpack providers, including the Black Hills and the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Agricultural activities in the surrounding area include farming and ranching, with corn, soybeans, and wheat being the primary crops. The lake is also an important source of irrigation for farms in the region. Recreational activities at the lake include fishing, boating, camping, and hiking. The lake is home to a variety of fish species, including walleye, northern pike, and catfish.

StateSouth-Dakota
OperatorUSGS
Site ID06442996
Percent of normal97%
Last updated2026-09-18
Records since2017
Storage trends

Daily levels at Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain

Storage volume, pool elevation, and total release plotted from the operating agency's daily observations.

Gage height, ft

ft · code 00065

Modelled bathymetry

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.

Shoreline approximate
Building basin…
Empty Normal pool
Water level
Storage
Surface area
Max depth

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.

Detailed forecast

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.

Hourly detail

Next 5 days, hour by hour

Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.

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Deep dive

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.

TimeConditionTemp (°F)Snow (in)Rain (in)Humidity (%)Wind (mps)Wind dir
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Long-term outlook

15-day temperature & precipitation

Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.

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Regional inflow

Nearby streamflow gauges

USGS streamgauges around Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.

Around the water

Make a day of it

Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain.

FAQ

About Lake Francis Case(Am Cr Bay) At Chamberlain

What is the water level at Lake Francis Case(am Creek Bay) At Chamberlain Reservoir right now?

As of September 18, 2026, Lake Francis Case(am Creek Bay) At Chamberlain Reservoir is holding 55 ft, about 97% of normal for this date. Pool elevation and the year-over-year trend are shown above.

Is Lake Francis Case(am Creek Bay) At Chamberlain 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 Lake Francis Case(am Creek Bay) At Chamberlain 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.