Vail Lake water level
▼ 5.1 points from 29.3% a year ago
Source: waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-11042510, accessed October 1, 2026. Updated every 6 hours.
Vail Lake is at 24.2% of full pool (1420.02 ft) as of September 29, 2026. Vail Lake was last full on June 22, 1993 (95.3% of normal storage). Vail Lake is near Temecula, California. It has picnic area and boat launch, managed by Rancho California Water District (campground ops contracted to KEI / Temecula KOA). Check current swimming advisories at Vail Lake recreation status (Rancho California Water District) before you go.
Vail Lake 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 1987
Vail Lake is falling: 24.2% full, down 0.1 percentage points since September 27, 2026.
On this same date last year (September 28, 2025), Vail Lake was 29.3% full, 5.1 percentage points higher than today's 24.2%.
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).
Vail Lake map
Vail Lake is at 33.4956, -116.9767. Open in OpenStreetMap.
The dam
- Irrigation
- Water supply
Sources: nid.sec.usace.army.mil, accessed September 29, 2026
Visiting Vail Lake
- Picnic area
- Boat launch
Campground activities operated by Kampgrounds Enterprises (Temecula/Vail Lake KOA). District page notes boat-ramp and marina-road constraints when lake levels are low - confirm access with the KOA and Rancho Water before travel.
Good to know:
- Water-storage reservoir for Rancho Water customers in Temecula, Murrieta, and southwest Riverside County. District has posted that levels reached the end of the boat ramp, making launching unsafe, and that marina access roads were damaged by storms - check live district notices.
- Swimming is not allowed (drinking-water storage). Operator and resort pages describe limited body-contact rules.
- Published KOA day-use amounts were not verified on the District page this pass; fees left empty rather than guessed.
Swimming
Designated swim area: Swimming prohibited (drinking-water reservoir).
Water-quality and swimming advisories change without notice. Always check Vail Lake recreation status (Rancho California Water District) before you go.
Sources: ranchowater.com/265/Vail-Lake, accessed September 28, 2026
On the water
No campgrounds, boat ramps, or swim spots linked to Vail Lake yet.
Common questions
- Vail Lake is at 24.2% of full pool (1420.02 ft) as of September 29, 2026.
- Vail Lake was last full on June 22, 1993, when it held 95.3% of its normal storage (elevation 1,461.69 ft). 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, 1987.
- In USGS daily data since October 8, 1987, Vail Lake's highest elevation was 1,470.83 ft on February 20, 1993. Its lowest after it first filled (February 8, 1993) was 1,410.35 ft on December 10, 2022. These are the highest and lowest daily readings in the published data, not official records.
- Vail Lake is near Temecula, California (33.4956, -116.9767).
- Utility operates the dam at Vail Lake.
- Vail Lake's dam is used for Irrigation, Water supply.
- Vail Lake has designated swimming at: Swimming prohibited (drinking-water reservoir). Check current advisories at Vail Lake recreation status (Rancho California Water District) before you go.