San Carlos Reservoir water level
▲ 0.8 points from 0.5% a year ago
Source: waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-09469000, accessed October 1, 2026. Updated every 6 hours.
San Carlos Reservoir is at 1% of full pool as of September 29, 2026. San Carlos Reservoir was last full on May 15, 1995 (95.2% of normal storage). San Carlos Reservoir is near Peridot, Arizona. It has boat launch, managed by San Carlos Apache Tribe Recreation & Wildlife Department. Check current swimming advisories at San Carlos Apache Tribe Recreation & Wildlife (current rules and permits) before you go.
San Carlos 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 1929
San Carlos Reservoir is rising: 0.9% full, up 0.5 percentage points since September 20, 2026.
On this same date last year (September 28, 2025), San Carlos Reservoir was 0.5% full, 0.4 percentage points lower than today's 0.9%.
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).
San Carlos Reservoir map
San Carlos Reservoir is at 33.1753, -110.5280. Open in OpenStreetMap.
The dam
- Flood control
- Irrigation
- Recreation
Sources: nid.sec.usace.army.mil, accessed September 29, 2026
Visiting San Carlos Lake
- Boat launch
Shoreline and remote camping available under tribal permit rules; lake level varies widely - confirm conditions with Recreation & Wildlife before travel. Pack in/pack out; limited services.
Good to know:
- San Carlos Lake is on the San Carlos Apache Reservation; tribal permits are required for recreation activities including fishing, camping, and boating. Arizona state fishing licenses are not valid here.
- Contact Recreation & Wildlife at (928) 475-2343 or 1-888-475-2344 for current permit types and fees before visiting.
- No permit is needed only for driving through on designated public highways (US 60, US 70, Road 800 to San Carlos, Road 500 to Coolidge Dam) without stopping for recreation.
Swimming
Water-quality and swimming advisories change without notice. Always check San Carlos Apache Tribe Recreation & Wildlife (current rules and permits) before you go.
Sources: sancarlosrecreationwildlife.com, accessed September 28, 2026
On the water
No campgrounds, boat ramps, or swim spots linked to San Carlos Reservoir yet.
Common questions
- San Carlos Reservoir is at 1% of full pool as of September 29, 2026.
- San Carlos Reservoir was last full on May 15, 1995, when it held 95.2% 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 March 1, 1929.
- In USGS daily data since March 1, 1929, San Carlos Reservoir's highest storage was 121.4% of normal storage on January 20, 1993. Its lowest after it first filled (October 3, 1983) was 0% of normal storage on May 3, 2013. These are the highest and lowest daily readings in the published data, not official records.
- San Carlos Reservoir is near Peridot, Arizona (33.1753, -110.5280).
- Bureau of Indian Affairs operates the dam at San Carlos Reservoir.
- San Carlos Reservoir's dam is used for Flood control, Irrigation, Recreation.
- Recreation & Wildlife office: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Sunday closed. Lake access is year-round subject to tribal rules and water levels.
- San Carlos Recreation & Wildlife Department, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Sunday closed.
- San Carlos Reservoir has no designated swim area on record. Check current advisories at San Carlos Apache Tribe Recreation & Wildlife (current rules and permits) before you go.