CaliforniaNatural lake, 219,430 acres, Imperial County, Riverside County
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-244.00ft
Steady 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: S wind 0 to 5 kt, gusts to 8 kt, high near 81°F. Tuesday: ESE wind 1 to 6 kt, gusts to 8 kt, high near 80°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.
-244.00ft NGVD29
14.50 ft below the September normal
Reading from Sep 22, 2026. Shaded band: range of September averages on record; dashed line is the typical level.
Salton Sea was at -244.00 ft on September 22. That is well below normal for September: the typical September level is -229.50 ft, so the lake is 14.50 ft below its usual mark.
Background reading: Salton Sea on Wikipedia
Set in Imperial County, Riverside County, California, Salton Sea is a 219,430-acre natural lake. The surface sits about -234 ft above sea level and the deepest point is roughly 49 ft down.
We read the level from USGS gauge 10254005, listed as Salton Sea near Westmorland CA. Wind and weather come from the National Weather Service grid cell over the lake, so the numbers describe open water rather than the nearest airport.
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.
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: S wind 0 to 5 kt, gusts to 8 kt, high near 81°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.
Salton Sea was at -244.00 ft on September 22. That is well below normal for September: the typical September level is -229.50 ft, so the lake is 14.50 ft below its usual mark.
Salton Sea covers about 219,430 acres (343 square miles) of surface water.
The deepest point of Salton Sea is roughly 49 ft.
If Salton Sea is blown out, these are the closest alternatives. Tap through for their conditions.