The Kariba Lake is designed to operate between levels 475.50m and 488.50m (with 0.70m freeboard) for hydropower generation.
The Kariba Lake level is in recession, steadily dropping to 480.17m (33.07% usable storage) as of 2nd November 2026, compared to 476.82m (9.12% usable storage) recorded on the same date last year.
From:
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
To:
Monday, November 2, 2026
Lake Levels:
| Day | This Year | %Full | Last Year | %Full |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-Oct | 480.51 | 35.63% | 477.17 | 11.55% |
| 21-Oct | 480.49 | 35.48% | 477.14 | 11.34% |
| 22-Oct | 480.48 | 35.40% | 477.1 | 11.05% |
| 23-Oct | 480.46 | 35.25% | 477.07 | 10.84% |
| 24-Oct | 480.44 | 35.10% | 477.04 | 10.63% |
| 25-Oct | 480.41 | 34.88% | 477.01 | 10.42% |
| 26-Oct | 480.37 | 34.58% | 476.99 | 10.28% |
| 27-Oct | 480.34 | 34.35% | 476.97 | 10.14% |
| 28-Oct | 480.31 | 34.13% | 476.94 | 9.94% |
| 29-Oct | 480.29 | 33.98% | 476.91 | 9.73% |
| 30-Oct | 480.25 | 33.67% | 476.89 | 9.60% |
| 31-Oct | 480.2 | 33.30% | 476.87 | 9.46% |
| 1-Nov | 480.19 | 33.22% | 476.84 | 9.26% |
| 2-Nov | 480.17 | 33.07% | 476.82 | 9.12% |
Lake Levels Graphic:

