SMITH LAKE, ALABAMA · HUMPHRIES GROUP AT KELLER WILLIAMS
Lewis Smith Lake Alabama Water Level & Recent Observations
See the latest available Smith Lake elevation, observation time, NGVD29 datum and recent reported changes, with official sources and practical dock-depth context.
LAKE CONDITIONS
Smith Lake water level
The latest available official observation loads here, with its reporting time and vertical datum.
Provisional observations are reference information. Lake elevation does not establish the depth at a particular dock or safe boating conditions.
Read the observation and its time together
The reading above is the latest valid observation available to this website from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District’s public Smith Lake series. The date and time show when the water surface was observed. The separate check time shows when this website requested the data. Times use Central Time, including daylight-saving changes.
The website checks the source when this page or the information center is opened, with a five-minute cache for successful responses. Observations are provisional and can contain gaps. A delayed or older observation stays labeled; an unavailable response does not become a zero reading. This page is an observation resource, not a continuously monitored warning service.
What feet NGVD29 means
The source identifies this series in feet relative to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929, abbreviated NGVD29. This is an elevation reference for the lake surface. Keep the reference with the number when comparing it with another measurement. A number using a different vertical datum may require a verified conversion.
Water depth at a dock also depends on the lakebed at that location. An elevation of the lake surface does not tell you how much water is below a particular boat, whether a route is clear, or whether a dock meets a buyer’s needs. Ask for a site measurement, its date, the lake elevation at that time and the reference used.
Understand the recent trend without filling the gaps
The chart plots available observations over roughly the last seven days. Gaps longer than 90 minutes remain unconnected. The 24-hour change appears only when the source contains a valid observation exactly 24 hours before the latest point. Missing observations do not become estimated readings.
The displayed range describes those observations only. It is not a forecast, a normal operating range, a minimum depth or a promise about water conditions during your visit.
Use current operating information for your plans
Alabama Power’s published explanation of lake management describes several operating considerations, including flood storage, wildlife protection, navigation and drought. Seasonal context can help you prepare questions, while the current lake page is the place to check operating information for a particular visit.
Before boating or evaluating a home, consider the observation time, local conditions, weather and the actual facility or dock you intend to use. Review current official information and property records alongside the reading.
Sources and review dates
- USACE CWMS public water-data service
Smith.Elev.Inst.1Hour.0.Raw-APCO, office SAM; feet NGVD29. Source observations are provisional and may be delayed or revised.
Source reviewed 2026-10-31.
- USACE: CWMS Data API documentation
Official documentation for the public data service.
Source reviewed 2026-10-31.
- Alabama Power: Understanding Lake Levels
Published October 1, 2024. Background on lake management; current observations and operating information are separate.
Source reviewed 2026-10-31.
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