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.
Lake Minnetonka: 929.23 feet | Gray's Bay Dam: 0 CFS
| Date | Lake Level (feet above sea level) | Dam Discharge (cubic feet per second) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2021 | 929.23 | Dam closed | Due to minimal rain in the 7-day forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at 9 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| May 3, 2021 | 929.25 | Dam closed | Due to an on-going dry 7-day forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~11 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 30, 2021 | 929.23 | Dam closed | Due to an on-going mostly dry 7-day forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~19 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 28, 2021 | 929.24 | Dam closed | Due to minimal rain in the 7-day forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at 32 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 26, 2021 | 929.19 | Dam closed | Due to minimal rain in the 7-day forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at 15 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 23, 2021 | 929.20 | Dam closed | Due to minimal rain in the 7-day forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at 12 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 21, 2021 | 929.22 | Dam closed | Due to an on-going mostly dry 7-day forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~14 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 19, 2021 | 929.23 | Dam closed | Due to an on-going mostly dry 14-day forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~17 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 16, 2021 | 929.22 | Dam closed | Due to a mostly dry 14-day weather forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~22 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 14, 2021 | 929.21 | Dam closed | Due to a mostly dry 14-day weather forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~26 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 12, 2021 | 929.22 | Dam closed | Due to a mostly dry 14-day weather forecast the dam remains closed. Minnehaha Creek is flowing at ~27 cfs at Hiawatha Avenue. |
| April 9, 2021 | 929.16 | Dam closed | The dam remains closed due to a dry 14-day forecast, a lower than average lake level for early April, and because Minnehaha Creek is flowing at approx. 50 cfs near Hiawatha Ave. from this week's rain. |
| April 7, 2021 | 929.07 | Dam closed | Over the last two days the upper watershed has received approximately a half inch of precipitation and the lake has risen minimally. Another 1-1.5 inches of rain are expected over the next few days. Water levels will be reassessed on Friday. |
| April 5, 2021 | 929.02 | Dam closed | Due to a lower than average lake level for early April the dam is currently closed. Dam operations will be reassessed after this week's forecasted rain |
