CaliforniaNatural lake, 840 acres, Nevada County
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5,931.69ft
Down 0.81 ft this week
Sailing
CheckingReading the forecast
Kayak and SUP
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Power boating
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Fishing
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Outlook. Monday: SW wind 11 to 19 kt, gusts to 30 kt, high near 51°F. Tuesday: SW wind 4 to 9 kt, gusts to 19 kt, high near 52°F.
7-day wind forecastLoads when you scroll here
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Last hour of NOAA MRMS radar, 1 km resolution. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenMapTiles, OpenFreeMap.
5,931.69ft NGVD29
-0.81 ft in 7 days1.84 ft above the October normal
Reading from Oct 26, 2026. Shaded band: range of October averages on record; dashed line is the typical level.
Donner Lake was at 5,931.69 ft on October 26, falling 0.81 ft over the past week. That is above normal for October: the typical October level is 5,929.85 ft, so the lake is 1.84 ft above its usual mark.
Background reading: Donner Lake on Wikipedia
Donner Lake is a 840-acre natural lake in Nevada County, California. The surface sits about 5,935 ft above sea level and the deepest point is roughly 328 ft down.
Water level on this page comes from USGS gauge 10338400 (Donner Lake near Truckee CA). Wind, gusts and rain come from the National Weather Service forecast grid that covers the water.
On water this size, waves stay small even on windy days. The catch is gusts: shoreline terrain funnels the wind into sharp puffs that catch out small boats and paddlers. At about 5,935 ft, summer afternoons often bring building wind and quick thunderstorms, and the water stays cold well into the season.
The go or no-go calls above are a starting point, not a guarantee. Read how we score conditions, and always check local rules and posted warnings before you launch.
The National Weather Service forecast for the lake from October 26: Monday: SW wind 11 to 19 kt, gusts to 30 kt, high near 51°F. The panel at the top of this page refreshes the current wind, gusts and direction when you open it and turns them into a call for sailing, paddling, power boating and fishing.
Donner Lake was at 5,931.69 ft on October 26, falling 0.81 ft over the past week. That is above normal for October: the typical October level is 5,929.85 ft, so the lake is 1.84 ft above its usual mark.
Donner Lake covers about 840 acres (1.3 square miles) of surface water.
The deepest point of Donner Lake is roughly 328 ft.
If Donner is blown out, these are the closest alternatives. Tap through for their conditions.