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NebraskaReservoir, 4,661 acres, Hitchcock County

Swanson Lake conditions today

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset

Right now on Swanson

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Best window

0pm to 0pm

score

Wind

00kt

Gusts 00

Direction

NE

Blowing from

Air temp

00°F

High

Rain

Dry

next 6 hours

Water level

2,734.01ft

Down 0.10 ft this week

Sailing

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Reading the forecast

Kayak and SUP

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Power boating

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Fishing

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Hour by hour

Next 24 hours
Wind and gusts0 to 30+ ktScoreGood, caution, stay ashoreNightBest windowArrows point where the wind blows to.

Outlook. Monday: NNW wind 7 to 14 kt, gusts to 20 kt, high near 55°F, 80% chance of rain. Tuesday: SSE wind 3 to 8 kt, gusts to 15 kt, high near 62°F.

7-day wind forecast

Live radar

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LightHeavy

Last hour of NOAA MRMS radar, 1 km resolution. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenMapTiles, OpenFreeMap.

Water level

2,734.01ft above sea level

-0.10 ft in 7 days

2.17 ft below the October normal

Sep 25Oct 10Oct 25

Reading from Oct 25, 2026. Shaded band: range of October averages on record; dashed line is the typical level.

Swanson Lake was at 2,734.01 ft on October 25, falling 0.10 ft over the past week. That is below normal for October: the typical October level is 2,736.18 ft, so the lake is 2.17 ft below its usual mark.

Lake facts

Type
Reservoir
State
Nebraska
County
Hitchcock County
Surface area
4,661 acres
Level source
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Trenton Dam (Swanson Lake)
Coordinates
40.1575° N, 101.1094° W

About Swanson Lake

Set in Hitchcock County, Nebraska, Swanson Lake is a 4,661-acre reservoir.

Water level on this page comes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reading at Trenton Dam (Swanson Lake), 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.

Swanson Lake questions

Is it windy on Swanson Lake today?

The National Weather Service forecast for the lake from October 26: Monday: NNW wind 7 to 14 kt, gusts to 20 kt, high near 55°F, 80% chance of rain. 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.

What is the water level at Swanson Lake right now?

Swanson Lake was at 2,734.01 ft on October 25, falling 0.10 ft over the past week. That is below normal for October: the typical October level is 2,736.18 ft, so the lake is 2.17 ft below its usual mark.

How big is Swanson Lake?

Swanson Lake covers about 4,661 acres (7.3 square miles) of surface water.

Nearby lakes

If Swanson is blown out, these are the closest alternatives. Tap through for their conditions.