About LakeScope

LakeScope answers one question every morning: how is my lake today? For each lake you get a one-line verdict, the water temperature, the water level and its trend, clarity and algae, ice in winter, the wind and weather for the next days, and the best times to fish.

Where the numbers come from

Water levels: USGS gauges, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA water-level stations, California DWR, LCRA. Weather: National Weather Service. Water temperature: NASA MODIS Terra and Aqua (daily, 1 km) and USGS/NASA Landsat 8-9. Clarity, algae and ice: Copernicus Sentinel-2. Satellite data read from Microsoft Planetary Computer. Lake bed: GLOBathy (CC0) and USGS 3DEP / Copernicus GLO-30 terrain. Outlines: HydroLAKES (CC BY 4.0). Ramps: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Map: OpenFreeMap.

Snow on the ground around lakes (daily lake reports): NOAA National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center snow analysis (public domain).

Lake outlines come from HydroLAKES (CC BY 4.0), boat ramps from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), and the background map from OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How fresh is it?

The pages are rebuilt every morning. Water levels come from gauges where a lake has one; lakes without a gauge get a trend only once enough clear satellite passes are in. Clarity, algae and temperature come from the last clear satellite view: when clouds hide a lake, we say so instead of guessing. Best fishing times are worked out from sunrise, sunset, the moon and the wind forecast. They are a guide, not a promise.

Limits

LakeScope is an estimate to plan your day. It is not official safety, navigation or health information. Always follow posted advisories, check ice yourself, and check with the lake office before launching.

Who makes it

LakeScope is made by Atlas Labs. The app is on Google Play.