In the preemptive hours before more rainfall arrives, State Climatologist Gary McManus provides an update on current lake and reservoir levels across the state – alarming in some areas.
While Lake Lugert-Altus in Southwest Oklahoma is still six feet below capacity as of June 9, 2025, Kaw Lake, near Ponca City, is 22 feet above normal, as is Hugo Lake in the Southeast. McManus compared these levels to what they were a few months ago on February 24: Lake Lugert-Altus was twelve feet below normal, Kaw Lake was normal, and Hugo Lake was a foot above normal.
Since February, Choctaw County (Hugo Lake) has received 17 – 18 inches of rain. Kaw Lake in both Kay and Osage Counties has received around 20 inches of rain. Greer and Kiowa Counties, which contain Lake Lugert-Altus, have received a respectable 10 – 15 inches of rain.
“Those lakes, at least in some parts of the state, have a chance to go even higher after the next few days, starting tonight,” McManus said. Then, referencing the higher projected rain totals in the Southeast, he added. “Those rain chances have done the ‘Southeast Shuffle. ‘ Okies get so tired of – at least the NW half of the state’s Okies.”
To read more of the latest mesonet ticker from State Climatologist Gary McManus about lake and reservoir levels, click here.
In Tuesday’s mesonet ticker, McManus mentioned more rain on the way, which will elevate those lake levels even further. Ponca City may receive 1.1 inches, Kaw Lake is in the 2 – 3 inches range, and Lake Lugert-Altus may receive 0.1- 0.6 inches of rain from now until June 15 before summer temperatures really take over.
