Yes, lake levels have a lot to do with the number of swans. If your lake is the only or only one of a few lakes with high waters, swans are looking for such areas during mating and nesting season. High waters provide wetland areas so that the swans can nest in grass areas covered or nearly covered by water to prevent predators such as coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, etc., from having easy access to the nesting sites which would occur if the lake levels were low and land bridges were available.

Additionally, more water means more food, i.e., aquatic vegetation, frogs, small crustaceans and baby fish. All of these food items can be ingested by the swans as well as the baby swans as they feed under the water and in areas rampant with aquatic vegetation.

Your male swan may be at an age where he can no longer fight off the other males. This occurs and it is nature. Hopefully, he will not be injured or killed trying to repel other male swans, but eventually, he will learn that a younger stronger male will become the leader of the flock and possibly the dominant swan of the lake. The Regal Swan