White Lake Water Level
As of Jun 8, 2026, White Lake measured 1019.05 ft — 0.6 in. below its summer target of 1019.10 ft.
| Date | Level (ft) | Change | vs target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 2026 | 1019.05 | -0.15 | -0.05 |
| Jun 1, 2026 | 1019.20 | -0.07 | +0.10 |
| May 25, 2026 | 1019.27 | +0.04 | +0.17 |
| May 18, 2026 | 1019.23 | -0.17 | +0.13 |
| May 11, 2026 | 1019.40 | 0.00 | +0.30 |
| May 4, 2026 | 1019.40 | -0.03 | +0.30 |
| Apr 27, 2026 | 1019.43 | 0.00 | +0.33 |
| Apr 20, 2026 | 1019.43 | +0.20 | +0.33 |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 1019.23 | +0.20 | +0.63 |
| Apr 6, 2026 | 1019.03 | -0.07 | +0.43 |
Most recent published readings for White Lake, sourced from Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner reports. Last updated Jun 15, 2026. "Change" is the difference from the previous reading; "vs target" compares each reading to the legal level then in effect.
About White Lake
Located in western Oakland County, White Lake is a regulated inland lake whose surface elevation is maintained by the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner under Michigan's Inland Lake Level Act. A court-established level order fixes where the lake should sit through the year, and the WRC's contracted crews read its reference gauge on a regular schedule. We republish those readings here, with the most recent values plotted so the lake's trend is easy to follow.
White Lake legal water levels
The legal summer target for White Lake is 1019.10 feet above sea level, with a winter target of 1018.60 feet. That 6.0-inch gap is an intentional seasonal drawdown: after the boating season the WRC lets the lake down toward the winter mark, both to buffer the spring melt that follows and to limit ice pressure against docks and seawalls. In spring the lake is allowed to refill to the summer level for the recreational months.
Where is White Lake?
By elevation, White Lake lies near 1,019.1 feet above sea level — the same figure as its summer target, since that target is measured against sea level. The lake is centered around 42.692° N, 83.554° W in western Oakland County; you can view it on Google Maps for a sense of its layout.
Seasonal water-level rhythm at White Lake
Like its neighbors, White Lake rises and falls on a yearly cycle: up with the spring melt toward the 1019.10-foot summer mark, gradually down through the warm season, and lower still as the WRC sets it toward 1018.60 feet for winter. Short-term wobbles from a single storm or a dry week are routine; it is the multi-week trend against the seasonal target that actually tells you something.
What level changes mean for White Lake shoreline owners
The water level shapes day-to-day life on White Lake. Low water can mean dragging boats over a shallow launch or a dock that no longer reaches navigable depth; high water can flood low lawns, undercut seawalls, and raise groundwater under lakeside basements and septic fields. Keeping the lake near its legal target is meant to hold those competing risks in balance for every property on the shoreline.
How Oakland County manages lake water levels
The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner — currently Jim Nash — is responsible for maintaining the legal water levels of monitored lakes in the county. The WRC operates and maintains a network of small dams, weirs, and lake-level control structures, and contracts survey teams to read each lake's reference gauge regularly.
Reading frequency varies by season: during the active spring–autumn window the WRC typically publishes a report every one to three weeks, scaling back through the winter when ice and stable inflows make daily fluctuations smaller. The numbers shown on this dashboard come directly from those official reports — we re-publish and plot them so trends are easier to see than scrolling through PDFs.
If you ever spot a reading on this page that looks suspicious, the authoritative source is the WRC's own bulletin. Long-term trends (multiple months) matter more for management decisions than any individual measurement, which can drift slightly from week to week depending on gauge accuracy, weather, and the time of day a reading was taken.
Frequently asked questions
How often is the data on this page updated?
Our automated scraper checks the Oakland County WRC's published reports twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday evenings) during the active reporting season. When a new reading is posted by the county, this dashboard reflects it within a few hours. During winter the WRC reports less frequently, so updates may be sparse.
What does "legal water level" mean for White Lake?
A legal level is one set by a judge under Michigan's Inland Lake Level Act (Part 307 of Public Act 451). For White Lake the order specifies the summer and winter elevations shown above. The WRC and the lake's improvement board are jointly responsible for taking reasonable steps to maintain those levels through dam operation and outflow control.
What can I do if I think the water level is wrong?
Bring it up with your Lake Improvement Board or contact the Oakland County WRC directly. Individual weekly readings can be off by a fraction of an inch due to gauge tolerance, but a clear weeks-long trend is what calls for action.
Where does this data come from?
All readings shown here are aggregated from publicly published reports of the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner. The original PDF bulletins are available on oakgov.com. We add nothing to the source numbers — we only re-format and plot them.
Is this an official county website?
No. LakeWatch is an independent community resource. It is not affiliated with Oakland County, the Water Resources Commissioner's office, or any specific Lake Improvement Board. The data is sourced from public records and republished as a courtesy to lakefront residents and visitors.
Other Oakland County lakes
LakeWatch monitors 29 inland lakes across Oakland County, Michigan. If you live on, fish, or boat a different lake nearby, jump straight to its dashboard: