Three days of torrential rain across the Texas Hill Country have done something years of waiting could not: push Medina Lake into a visible, measurable rebound.
State data from the Texas Water Development Board shows the lake hit 23.4% full as of July 17, 2026 — up from 12.9% on July 15. That is a 10-percentage-point jump in just 48 hours.
To put that in perspective: One year ago, Medina Lake was sitting at just 5.9% full.
KSAT’s Weather Authority team estimates roughly 480 billion gallons of rain fell across parts of the Hill Country between July 13 and July 17 — a regional total that reflects the scale of the storm system that moved through the area.
Medina Lake is an irrigation reservoir operated as part of the Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Water Control and Improvement District system. Because of its relatively small watershed, the lake is known for dramatic fluctuations — it can drop sharply during drought and rebound quickly after a well-placed rain event.
KSAT has documented the lake near record lows in recent years, including periods when it sat around 2% full. At its worst, the lake approached what water managers call “dead pool” conditions, when there is essentially no functional inflow or outflow.
At Wally’s Watersports on the lake, owner Mike Crandall was moving his marina float up the steps Thursday afternoon, chasing the rising waterline in real time.
“It’s been pretty good, pretty good business,” Crandall said, “but this is definitely going to help, I mean, there’s no question about it.”
His co-owner, Shirlee Crandall, put the turnaround in even sharper relief.
“Right now, it’s almost at 25% full,” she said. “So compared to the 2.4% that we had last year, it does look full, not quite there yet, but we’re certainly hoping that’ll translate into business coming back.”
While the numbers are encouraging, water managers and longtime lake watchers caution that Medina Lake can drop just as fast as it rises. Hot summer temperatures and irrigation demand could test the recovery in the weeks ahead.
KSAT reached out to the Bexar-Medina-Atascosa Water District about operations and what comes next for the lake but did not immediately hear back.
The broader 2026 trend has been more promising than recent years. KSAT weather coverage noted earlier this year that 2026 has been markedly wetter since early April, with improved conditions for area lakes and aquifers — including Medina reaching its highest levels in years even before this week’s surge.
Still, residents and business owners are choosing cautious optimism for now.
You can monitor Medina Lake’s water levels in real time through the Texas Water Development Board’s Water Data for Texas dashboard at the link here. The site tracks daily reservoir levels, percent full and conservation storage across the state.
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