Horseshoe Reservoir water level
▼ 28.6 points from 45.2% a year ago
Source: waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-09509501, accessed October 1, 2026. Updated every 6 hours.
Horseshoe Reservoir is at 16.2% of full pool as of September 28, 2026. Horseshoe Reservoir was last full on May 13, 1998 (95% of normal storage). Horseshoe Reservoir is near Carefree, Arizona. It has boat launch, managed by U.S. Forest Service, Tonto National Forest (Cave Creek Ranger District). Check current swimming advisories at Horseshoe Reservoir current information (Tonto National Forest) before you go.
Horseshoe Reservoir level history
This site counts a reservoir as full on a day its storage is at or above 95% of the dam's normal storage (National Inventory of Dams). Many reservoirs rarely reach 100%, even in wet years, because operators release water for irrigation, power or flood control before they fill, so this site treats 95% as full. Highs and lows are daily readings in the published data, not official records. Source: USGS daily data.
Storage, % of full pool, since 1974
Horseshoe Reservoir is falling: 16.9% full, down 0.7 percentage points since September 20, 2026.
On this same date last year (September 28, 2025), Horseshoe Reservoir was 45.2% full, 28.3 percentage points higher than today's 16.9%.
Weekly averages of the source's daily readings; older years may be monthly or sparser where that is all the source published. Download the charted data (JSON).
Horseshoe Reservoir map
Horseshoe Reservoir is at 33.9848, -111.7104. Open in OpenStreetMap.
The dam
- Irrigation
- Water supply
Sources: nid.sec.usace.army.mil, accessed September 29, 2026
Visiting Horseshoe Reservoir (Tonto National Forest)
- Boat launch
Horseshoe Campground (picnic tables, fire pits; trailers under 16 ft; unpaved access - high-clearance 4WD recommended) $16/night via Tonto Fee Machine. Mesquite Campground nearby. Catfish Point is day use only - no overnight camping. 14-day stay limit where camping is allowed.
Good to know:
- Horseshoe is often drawn down first among Salt River Project Verde lakes and can be nearly dry for long periods; check levels before visiting.
- Closed to water skiing, parasailing, and personal watercraft. Speed limit 20 mph; 25 horsepower motor limit; counter-clockwise travel. Free-flowing Verde River reaches closed to motorized boats.
- Ocotillo boat launch can be muddy, slippery, or out of the water at low levels. Catfish Point launch is for small non-motorized boats only.
Swimming
Water-quality and swimming advisories change without notice. Always check Horseshoe Reservoir current information (Tonto National Forest) before you go.
Sources: fs.usda.gov/r03/tonto/recreation/horseshoe-reservoir, accessed September 28, 2026
On the water
No campgrounds, boat ramps, or swim spots linked to Horseshoe Reservoir yet.
Common questions
- Horseshoe Reservoir is at 16.2% of full pool as of September 28, 2026.
- Horseshoe Reservoir was last full on May 13, 1998, when it held 95% of its normal storage. This site counts a reservoir as full on a day its storage is at or above 95% of the dam's normal storage (National Inventory of Dams). Many reservoirs rarely reach 100%, even in wet years, because operators release water for irrigation, power or flood control before they fill, so this site treats 95% as full. Based on USGS daily data since October 1, 1974.
- In USGS daily data since October 1, 1974, Horseshoe Reservoir's highest storage was 106.6% of normal storage on March 22, 1978. Its lowest after it first filled (March 13, 1978) was 0% of normal storage on October 10, 1978. These are the highest and lowest daily readings in the published data, not official records.
- Horseshoe Reservoir is near Carefree, Arizona (33.9848, -111.7104).
- Bureau of Reclamation operates the dam at Horseshoe Reservoir.
- Horseshoe Reservoir's dam is used for Irrigation, Water supply.
- Year-round. Forest Service lists the reservoir recreation area as day use; nearby Horseshoe and Mesquite campgrounds support overnight stays. Fees: Catfish Point day use Free, Horseshoe Campground (single site) $16/night.
- Cave Creek Ranger Station, Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed noon-1 p.m.); closed weekends and federal holidays.
- Horseshoe Reservoir has no designated swim area on record. Check current advisories at Horseshoe Reservoir current information (Tonto National Forest) before you go.