April 14, 2025. This April brings warmer weather, which has led to low elevation snowmelt in the Priest Lake Basin and rising water levels in Priest Lake. All gates are open, and the Priest Lake Outlet Dam is passing maximum flow. IDWR staff are watching two SNOTEL sites, Bunchgrass Meadow and Hidden Lake. Both sites are at an elevation of about 5000 feet, and snowpack is still holding on at those sites. The general rule of thumb is that peak flow into Priest Lake occurs when the Hidden Lake site has about 75% melt-out and when the Bunchgrass Meadow site has about 60% melt-out. Below are the links to the SNOTEL charts for both sites. Based on projections made by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), peak lake level is likely to occur between the end of May and the end of June. The current water level for Priest Lake is 1.86 feet: Priest Lake at Outlet NR Coolin ID - USGS Water Data for the Nation
The rising lake level is on track to exceed 3 feet by Memorial Day Weekend. Keep in mind that the lake fills with basin runoff, and peak lake level and timing of the peak lake level depend on weather conditions. It’s likely that the lake will peak above 3.5 feet this year, after which the lake level will recede.The Department’s hydrologists are seeing preliminary predictions for a dry year; however, that could change if the Priest River Basin receives additional precipitation. If this is a dry year, the Department will “catch” the lake level as it falls and aim to hold the lake level between 3.0 and 3.5 feet once the lake level is stabilized. By about May 7th, the Department will announce the lake level to be held during the first portion of the summer recreation season.Holding the lake between 3.0 and 3.5 feet allows the Department to maintain the recreation lake level in extreme temperatures and to augment Priest River flow for aquatic habitat in late summer.
Michelle Richman / Northern Regional Manager
Idaho Department of Water Resources
