The Tonle Sap is at 4.64 meters at the Prek Kdam gauge, read at 7:00 am on 12 November 2026. In November the villages near Siem Reap are floating, with the water at the floors of the houses, and the flooded forest canoe is running.
Tonle Sap water level chart
What it means for a visit this month
In November the water is usually high. The villages are floating, the flooded forest canoe is running, and sunset in Siem Reap is around 17:35. Next month, December, the water is usually high and the canoe is running.
The gauge tells you which way the lake is heading. What you will see in the village comes from our guides, who live there: message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what it looks like this week. Our trip reports show recent days on the water, and the Kompong Phluk sunset tour includes the canoe whenever it runs.
The water through the year
This is how our guides describe a typical year. It shifts by a few weeks with the rains and the Mekong.
| Month | Water | Villages | Forest canoe |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | high, dropping | floating | Running |
| February | dropping | stilts showing | No |
| March | low | on stilts | No |
| April | lowest | on stilts | No |
| May | low, first rains | on stilts | No |
| June | rising | on stilts | No |
| July | rising fast | water at the stilts | Running |
| August | high | floating | Running |
| September | high | floating | Running |
| October | highest | floating | Running |
| November | high, Water Festival | floating | Running |
| December | high, dropping | floating | Running |
For photos of each season see when to visit Kompong Phluk, and for why the lake rises and falls, how the Tonle Sap works.
The last two weeks
| Date | Level at 7:00 am | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 12 Nov | 4.64 m | −4 cm |
| Wed 11 Nov | 4.68 m | −4 cm |
| Tue 10 Nov | 4.72 m | −7 cm |
| Mon 9 Nov | 4.79 m | −6 cm |
| Sun 8 Nov | 4.85 m | −6 cm |
| Sat 7 Nov | 4.91 m | −5 cm |
| Fri 6 Nov | 4.96 m | −2 cm |
| Thu 5 Nov | 4.98 m | −6 cm |
| Wed 4 Nov | 5.04 m | −6 cm |
| Tue 3 Nov | 5.10 m | −9 cm |
| Mon 2 Nov | 5.19 m | −5 cm |
| Sun 1 Nov | 5.24 m | −9 cm |
| Sat 31 Oct | 5.33 m | −8 cm |
| Fri 30 Oct | 5.41 m | −5 cm |
About this gauge
The reading comes from the Mekong River Commission's monitoring station at Prek Kdam, on the Tonle Sap River about 30 km north of Phnom Penh. That river is the lake's only link to the Mekong: it fills the lake in the monsoon and drains it in the dry season, so its level shows which way the lake is moving. It is a height on the gauge, not the depth of water under the houses at Kompong Phluk or Kompong Khleang. The Commission also has a station on the lake itself, at Kompong Luong, but its water level sensor is not reporting at the moment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the water level of Tonle Sap Lake today?
The latest reading is 4.64 meters at the Prek Kdam gauge on the Tonle Sap River, taken at 7:00 am on 12 November 2026, down 34 cm on a week earlier. This page is updated every morning.
Is the flooded forest canoe running now?
Yes. In November the forest at Kompong Phluk is flooded and the rowboats run. They usually run from about July to January.
Where is the water level measured?
At Prek Kdam, on the Tonle Sap River about 30 km north of Phnom Penh, by the Mekong River Commission. It is the river that fills and drains the lake, so it shows which way the lake is heading. It is not a depth reading at the villages near Siem Reap.
When is Tonle Sap Lake at its highest and lowest?
It is usually highest in October and lowest in April and May. The Mekong pushes water into the lake from about June, the flow reverses around November, and the lake drains through the dry season. The timing shifts by a few weeks from year to year.
Can I visit the floating villages when the water is low?
Yes. The villages are lived in all year. In the dry season the houses stand on stilts up to ten meters above dry ground and you walk the streets under them; the boat ride to open water is longer and the forest canoe does not run.