This dataset contains lidar-derived water surface elevation profiles for river channels between Wax Lake, in the Atchafalaya River Basin of the Mississippi River Delta, and the Gulf of Mexico. The provided elevation profiles (i.e., water levels) were estimated using remotely sensed lidar data in combination with in situ field measurements of water levels for elevation calibration and to quantify uncertainty in estimates. The lidar data were collected during the Fall 2016 Pre-Delta-X Campaign using an Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) lidar instrument. The results are time-specific water levels measured as elevation in meters with respect to the North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD 88) geoid (or orthometric height) and the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84) ellipsoidal surface (or ellipsoidal/GPS height) along the water channels in this drainage system.