South Australia’s storages are 96.8% full (2,180 GL of 2,252 GL), down 0.1 points in a week; a year ago the same storages were 98.7% full.
17 storages reporting to the Bureau of Meteorology, latest reading 2026-09-28 09:35. Refreshed every 30 minutes.
The table lists the South Australian storages published by the Bureau of Meteorology: SA Water’s reservoirs in the Mount Lofty Ranges and the regions, and the River Murray storages reported for the state. Beside each storage are its accessible volume in megalitres, its percentage full, its level above the height datum and its movement over the past week, and the reservoirs open for fishing link to their page here.
Percentage full is the Bureau’s accessible volume divided by the accessible capacity, as on its storage dashboard, so it can differ by a point or two from the operator’s daily report, which is the official figure. Year ago is the same storage on the same date last year. Dams with a fishing page link to it.
| Storage | Full | Volume (ML) | Capacity (ML) | 7 days | Year ago | Updated | Fishing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Bold ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 91.7% | 42,521 | 46,388 | — | 69.2% | 26 Sept | — |
| South Para ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 80.8% | 35,959 | 44,526 | — | 50.9% | 26 Sept | South Para Reservoir fishing report |
| Myponga ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 93.4% | 25,511 | 27,301 | — | 62.3% | 26 Sept | Myponga Reservoir fishing report |
| Little Para ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 65.1% | 13,227 | 20,314 | — | 57.8% | 26 Sept | — |
| Kangaroo Creek ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 99.2% | 18,508 | 18,664 | — | 55.1% | 26 Sept | — |
| Millbrook ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 91.9% | 14,045 | 15,277 | — | 80.0% | 26 Sept | — |
| Happy Valley ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 81.1% | 7,506 | 9,260 | — | 76.2% | 26 Sept | Happy Valley Reservoir fishing report |
| Warren ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 66.2% | 3,131 | 4,730 | — | 69.2% | 26 Sept | Warren Reservoir fishing report |
| Barossa ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 93.9% | 4,100 | 4,366 | — | 92.9% | 26 Sept | — |
| Hope Valley ReservoirAdelaide and metropolitan reservoirs (SA Water) | 48.6% | 811 | 1,670 | — | 82.1% | 26 Sept | — |
| Lake AlexandrinaRiver Murray locks and Lower Lakes (SA Water) | 97.6% | 1,604,721 | 1,644,884 | −0.1 pts | 101.0% | 27 Sept | Lake Alexandrina fishing report |
| Lake AlbertRiver Murray locks and Lower Lakes (SA Water) | 96.8% | 270,761 | 279,583 | −0.8 pts | 104.9% | 28 Sept | Lake Albert fishing report |
| Lock 3 - Overland CornerRiver Murray locks and Lower Lakes (SA Water) | 101.4% above capacity | 37,440 | 36,932 | +0.7 pts | 101.5% | 28 Sept | Murray River at Lock 3, Overland Corner fishing report |
| Lock 1 - BlanchetownRiver Murray locks and Lower Lakes (SA Water) | 102.5% above capacity | 28,617 | 27,920 | +2.3 pts | 103.4% | 28 Sept | Murray River at Blanchetown (Lock 1) fishing report |
| Lock 2 - WaikerieRiver Murray locks and Lower Lakes (SA Water) | 103.1% above capacity | 27,772 | 26,947 | +0.9 pts | 119.4% | 28 Sept | Murray River at Lock 2 near Waikerie fishing report |
| Lock 5 - RenmarkRiver Murray locks and Lower Lakes (SA Water) | 100.0% | 23,034 | 23,042 | −0.9 pts | 106.8% | 28 Sept | — |
| Lock 4 - BookpurnongRiver Murray locks and Lower Lakes (SA Water) | 107.5% above capacity | 22,125 | 20,586 | +3.8 pts | 110.6% | 28 Sept | Murray River at Lock 4, Bookpurnong fishing report |
Among storages of 5 GL or more.
90% and over60–90%30–60%under 30%no capacity published
Combined accessible volume of the 17 storages with a published capacity, as a percentage of their combined capacity, one value a day.
SA Water reports the reservoirs that supply metropolitan Adelaide, Barossa, Happy Valley, Hope Valley, Kangaroo Creek, Little Para, Millbrook, Mount Bold, Myponga, South Para and Warren, and regional reservoirs such as Baroota, Bundaleer, Middle River and Tod. The Department for Environment and Water also supplies data, and the Bureau’s reporting includes River Murray weir volumes, one reason its state figure differs from the department’s. Upstream, the River Murray system is operated by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority as far as the South Australian border, and SA Water manages the flows below it.
Nowhere is the gap between sources wider. SA Water’s volumes include dead storage, the water below the lowest outlet, while the Bureau reports only accessible volume, and because some reservoirs have large dead storage, the Bureau warns that the two figures can differ by more than 50 per cent. While a reservoir is part full, the Bureau’s percentage sits below SA Water’s for this reason alone, since the dead storage never drains and lifts the operator’s figure; at full supply the two meet. Both are correct: SA Water describes all the water in the reservoir, and the Bureau describes the part that can be drawn through the outlets.
SA Water records its reservoir levels at 8 am ACST and uploads them at about midday on weekdays. At full capacity its metropolitan reservoirs hold almost 200,000 megalitres, which SA Water puts at just under a year’s supply for Adelaide. They do not fill from rain alone: SA Water can also use them to store River Murray water in times of high demand, so a reservoir may rise in a dry month because water has been pumped in rather than because it rained. SA Water’s own table compares each reservoir with the same day last year and the monthly average, which helps put a single reading in context.
South Australia has no recreational fishing licence, but PIRSA notes that a permit is needed in certain reservoirs. SA Water requires one at the Bundaleer, Happy Valley, Myponga, South Para, Tod and Warren reservoir reserves, Aroona Dam and Beetaloo Reservoir. It costs A$12 for three days, A$24 for ten days or A$39.75 for a year, or A$9.55, A$19.10 and A$32.00 with a concession, and the proceeds fund stocking. A permit holder may bring up to five fishing minors under 16. Reservoir limits are tighter than the state rules: golden perch and silver perch must be 33 cm with a daily bag of two, rainbow trout 28 cm with a bag of two, and Murray cod and Australian bass are catch and release only. PIRSA’s general bag for golden perch is five, so the reservoir figure is the one to carry. SA Water lists golden perch and silver perch at Bundaleer, Myponga, South Para, Warren and Beetaloo, rainbow trout at Bundaleer, Murray cod at Happy Valley and four of the others, and Australian bass at Tod.
Canoes and kayaks are the only craft SA Water allows on its reservoirs; motorised craft of any kind, petrol or electric, are banned, as are swimming, paddleboards, dogs other than assistance dogs, and camping. You may wade no deeper than the knee, and only to launch a canoe or kayak or to retrieve or release a fish; shore anglers must not step in to cast. Fish only from areas marked by signs and markers, bring your own bait because none may be collected on site, and leave burley and scented attractants behind. SA Water prefers lures and flies, and only rod-and-reel fishing is allowed, so no yabby nets or traps.
SA Water closes its reservoir reserves on total fire ban days declared by the CFS, and for maintenance, operational work or public safety, so check before a summer trip. A falling reservoir widens the strip of bare bank between the car park and the water, which matters when a kayak has to be wheeled down on a trolley, and brings weed beds and snags that were well covered close to the surface. SA Water warns that blue-green algae may be present in the water and asks visitors to keep contact with it to a minimum.
Every South Australian storage in the Bureau of Meteorology’s record has a row here, including each SA Water reservoir the Bureau carries. SA Water’s reservoir page gives its own figures, read at 8 am ACST and uploaded about midday on weekdays.
SA Water counts dead storage, the water below the lowest outlet, and the Bureau does not. For a part-full reservoir with large dead storage the Bureau’s figure is lower, and the Bureau says the difference can exceed 50 per cent.
Yes, at the reserves SA Water opens for fishing, with its permit: Bundaleer, Happy Valley, Myponga, South Para, Tod, Warren, Aroona Dam and Beetaloo. Only canoes and kayaks may be used on the water, and Murray cod and Australian bass must be released.
No licence is needed for recreational fishing, according to PIRSA, but the SA Water reservoir permit is required at the reservoirs open for fishing, from A$12 for three days.
SA Water and the Department for Environment and Water supply the raw readings. The Bureau removes dead storage from the volumes and counts River Murray weir volumes in the state picture, and our table is drawn from that record.
Data: Bureau of Meteorology, Water Data Online and the Australian Water Storages dataset, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY; volumes supplied by © SA Water, © Murray-Darling Basin Authority, © Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Where the Bureau lists no capacity, or its capacity and volume are on different bases, a row shows the volume only. Text by Pablo Ruiz Quintero.
The facts on this page were checked against these pages, from the agencies, park services and operators that manage the water on 28 September 2026; anything we could not verify was taken out. Written by Pablo Ruiz Quintero. Errors are published in the verification log.