South DakotaReservoir, 82,167 acres
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1,342.56ft
Down 3.36 ft this week
Sailing
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Kayak and SUP
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Power boating
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Fishing
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Outlook. Monday: ENE wind 9 to 12 kt, gusts to 20 kt, high near 46°F, 100% chance of rain. Tuesday: S wind 4 to 11 kt, gusts to 19 kt, high near 59°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.
1,342.56ft NGVD29
-3.36 ft in 7 days7.02 ft below the October normal
Reading from Oct 26, 2026. Shaded band: range of October averages on record; dashed line is the typical level.
Lake Francis Case was at 1,342.56 ft on October 26, falling 3.36 ft over the past week. That is well below normal for October: the typical October level is 1,349.58 ft, so the lake is 7.02 ft below its usual mark.
Background reading: Lake Francis Case on Wikipedia
Lake Francis Case covers about 82,167 acres in South Dakota and is classed as a reservoir. The reservoir dates to 1946.
Water level on this page comes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reading at Fort Randall Dam & Reservoir, published through the Corps' CWMS data service. Wind, gusts and rain come from the National Weather Service forecast grid that covers the water.
On a lake this size the wind has miles of open water to work with, so a 15 kt breeze can stack up a steep chop in the main basin while sheltered coves stay flat. 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: ENE wind 9 to 12 kt, gusts to 20 kt, high near 46°F, 100% 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.
Lake Francis Case was at 1,342.56 ft on October 26, falling 3.36 ft over the past week. That is well below normal for October: the typical October level is 1,349.58 ft, so the lake is 7.02 ft below its usual mark.
Lake Francis Case covers about 82,167 acres (128 square miles) of surface water.
The dam that forms Lake Francis Case was completed in 1946.
If Francis Case is blown out, these are the closest alternatives. Tap through for their conditions.