MontanaReservoir, 4,113 acres
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2,215.89ft
Down 0.16 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: ESE wind 9 to 16 kt, gusts to 24 kt, high near 48°F. Tuesday: S wind 4 to 9 kt, gusts to 14 kt, high near 44°F, 88% chance of rain.
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.
2,215.89ft above sea level
-0.16 ft in 7 days0.90 ft below the October normal
Reading from Oct 25, 2026. Shaded band: range of October averages on record; dashed line is the typical level.
Nelson Reservoir was at 2,215.89 ft on October 25, falling 0.16 ft over the past week. That is below normal for October: the typical October level is 2,216.79 ft, so the lake is 0.90 ft below its usual mark.
Background reading: Nelson Reservoir on Wikipedia
Nelson Reservoir covers about 4,113 acres in Montana and is classed as a reservoir.
Water level on this page comes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reading at Nelson Reservoir nr Saco, MT, published through the Corps' CWMS data service. Wind, gusts and rain come from the National Weather Service forecast grid that covers the water.
It is big enough for a proper sail but small enough that waves rarely get serious. Gusts off the shoreline are usually the bigger story than wave height. Reservoir levels move with releases and inflow, so ramps and beaches can change week to week. The water level page tracks that day by day.
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: ESE wind 9 to 16 kt, gusts to 24 kt, high near 48°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.
Nelson Reservoir was at 2,215.89 ft on October 25, falling 0.16 ft over the past week. That is below normal for October: the typical October level is 2,216.79 ft, so the lake is 0.90 ft below its usual mark.
Nelson Reservoir covers about 4,113 acres (6.4 square miles) of surface water.
If Nelson is blown out, these are the closest alternatives. Tap through for their conditions.