Medina Lake is still holding on to its dramatic summer rebound, but the iconic Texas Hill Country reservoir remains less than a third full as the region heads into the final months of 2026.
As of Friday, October 23, Medina Lake is 27.9% full, a slight decline from its summer peak of about 30%, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.
That means the body of water is more than two-thirds below capacity, roughly 72%, nearly two years after fears that it had reached “deadpool status.”
The lake’s water surface elevation is 1,019.83 feet above sea level. Data from the Water Development Board puts the lake’s surface area at 2,394 acres. At its fullest capacity, Medina Lake can hold 254,823 acre-feet of water. As of late October, however, it holds just 71,060 acre-feet of water, a difference of 183,763 acre-feet.
This time last year, the lake was just 5.4% full, and the last time it reached full capacity was more than seven years ago, in July 2019. Prior to that, the last comparable boost to the body of water was in early spring 2022, when it shot up to 41% full.
For nearly three months, the lake has hovered around 27-30% of its capacity, even though public access points to the lake have been closed for some time.