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Water Levels: Lake Minnetonka and Gray's Bay Dam

Questions about water levels, canoeing, or the MCWD's operation of the Gray's Bay dam? Learn more about Gray's Bay Dam.

You can view real-time water level readings of Lake Minnetonka here and Minnehaha Creek here, as part of a partnership between MCWD and the U.S. Geological Survey. Please note, the USGS refers to creek flow as "discharge" on their site.

Ideal creek flows for paddling are between 75 and 150 cubic feet per second (cfs). We do not recommend paddling when the creek's flow is higher than 150 cfs. Conditions can change rapidly, especially after rainfall. We recommend using the real-time flow at Hiawatha Ave to gauge how fast the creek is flowing in the lower half of the creek, and the Gray's Bay Dam discharge to gauge how fast the creek is flowing in the upper half of the creek. Learn more about paddling the creek.

Follow Gray's Bay Dam on Twitter for regular updates on water level and dam discharge.

Most recent reading (May 26, 2023)
Lake Minnetonka: 929.22 feet | Gray's Bay Dam: 12 CFS
Date Lake Level (feet above sea level) Dam Discharge (cubic feet per second) Explanation
May 26, 2023 929.22 12 Dam discharge remains at the min. allowed rate of 12cfs. 2023 rain totals in April & May are 2in. below normal and the 14-day outlook is hot and dry. 12cfs is being discharged to retain lake water AND prolong creek flow in case water levels remain low.
May 22, 2023 929.28 12 The dam is open & is releasing the min. allowed rate of 12 cfs. Due to the 2022 drought, water levels are low. The 14-day outlook is dry. The release rate of 12 cfs is being done to retain lake water AND prolong creek flow in case water levels remain low.
May 19, 2023 929.31 Dam closed Due to lower water levels & a dry 7-day forecast, the dam will remain closed over the weekend. Due to decreasing flows in Minnehaha Creek, the dam will be opened next week and will release the min. allowed discharge. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at 19 cfs.
May 15, 2023 929.29 Dam closed The dam remains closed due to minimal rain in the 14-day forecast AND because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at 30 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. See the homepage for the May 1 water level update.
May 12, 2023 929.21 Dam closed The dam remains closed as Lake Minnetonka is ~1 in. lower than normal for mid-May (normal=929.29ft) and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~16cfs at Hiawatha Ave. After rain this weekend, the 14-day outlook forecast below normal rain chances.
May 10, 2023 929.19 Dam closed Water levels remain low from the 2022 drought. The dam remains closed as Lake Minnetonka is 1.2 in. lower than normal for mid-May (normal=929.29ft) and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~16cfs at Hiawatha Ave. ~1 in. of rain is forecast through 5/14.
May 8, 2023 929.17 Dam closed Water levels remain low from the 2022 drought. The dam remains closed as Lake Minnetonka is ~1 in. lower than normal for early-May (normal=929.25ft) and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~20cfs at Hiawatha Ave. ~1in. of rain is forecast through 5/14.
May 5, 2023 929.11 Dam closed Water levels remain low from the 2022 drought. The dam remains closed as Lake Minnetonka is ~1.6in. lower than normal for early-May (normal=929.25ft) and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~20cfs at Hiawatha Ave. ~1in. of rain is forecast through 5/9.
May 3, 2023 929.11 Dam closed Water levels remain low from the 2022 drought. The dam remains closed as Lake Minnetonka is ~1.6in. lower than normal for early-May (normal=929.25ft) and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~20cfs at Hiawatha Ave. ~1in. of rain is forecast through 5/9.
May 1, 2023 929.10 Dam closed The dam remains closed as Lake Minnetonka is ~2 in. lower than normal for early-May (normal = 929.25 ft) and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~24 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. Minimal rain is forecast for the next 7-days.
April 27, 2023 928.99 Dam closed The dam remains closed as Lake Minnetonka is ~2 inches lower than normal for late-April (normal = 929.15-feet) and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~30 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. Minimal rain is forecast for the next 7-days.
April 25, 2023 928.93 Dam closed The dam remains closed as Lake Minnetonka is ~2.5-inches lower than normal for late-April (normal = 929.15-feet) and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~38 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. Approximately 0.5-in. of rain is forecast for April 25-26.
April 20, 2023 928.72 Dam closed Despite the 3rd snowiest season on record, water levels remain lower than normal for mid-April due to the extreme drought conditions experienced in 2022. Due to lower water levels, the dam is closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~85 cfs at Hiawatha Ave.
April 17, 2023 928.57 Dam closed Lake Minnetonka has risen 14.88” since the last lake reading on 11/28/22. The dam is closed due a lower-than-average lake level for mid-April and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~57 cfs at Hiawatha Ave. ~1-in. of rain is forecast April 19-20.

* Flow taken at McGinty Road because water levels were too high to measure at Gray's Bay dam

** Unofficial Lake Minnetonka water level reading due to ice still on the lake

You can view lake levels from 1906 to 2012 either as an Excel Spreadsheet or a graph.
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