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Bear Creek near Marcelline water level

River gauge, Bear Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.47ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
9.4 cfs
3 4

History

History
34ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 1834ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
2345ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 182345ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Bear Creek near Marcelline is at 2.47 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.14 ft below the median of 2.61 ft for mid-October, based on 31 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 2.32 ft (+0.15 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.37 ft and 4.28 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.61 ft0.14 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.26 ft – 4.05 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year
2.32 ft+0.15 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.37 ft – 4.28 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.26 ft – 10.95 ft

Floating and fishing near Bear Creek near Marcelline

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 38° – Wind 13 mph
19 Mon 71° 41° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 72° 51° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 73° 52° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 76° 55° – Wind 7 mph
23 Fri 77° 58° – Wind 14 mph
24 Sat 79° 60° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:20 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on Bear Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bear Creek at OttumwaRiver gauge, Bear Creek 79.52 ft No reference yet ±0 84 mi
Bear Creek at HannibalRiver gauge, Bear Creek 1.7 cfs Normal +0.3 cfs 32 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Wyaconda River above CantonRiver gauge, Wyaconda River 27.4 cfs Normal −28.7 cfs 12 mi
North Fabius River near EwingRiver gauge, North Fabius River 3.32 ft Below flood stage −0.22 ft 17 mi
Middle Fabius River near EwingRiver gauge, Middle Fabius River 2.81 ft Below flood stage −0.08 ft 21 mi
South Fabius River near TaylorRiver gauge, South Fabius River 1.74 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 21 mi
Fox River at WaylandRiver gauge, Fox River 1.64 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 22 mi
North River at PalmyraRiver gauge, North River 3.66 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 25 mi
Des Moines River at St. FrancisvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River 14.83 ft Below flood stage −0.13 ft 25 mi
La Moine River at ColmarRiver gauge, La Moine River 4.41 ft Normal −0.01 ft 27 mi

Questions and answers

How does Bear Creek near Marcelline compare with last year?

It is 0.15 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.32 ft.

What is a normal level for Bear Creek near Marcelline in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.61 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.26 ft and 4.05 ft, based on 31 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Bear Creek near Marcelline today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:15 AM CDT, the water level was 2.47 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear Creek near Marcelline rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Bear Creek near Marcelline normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05495500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.14282, -91.33737 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.47 ft 2026-10-18 12:15 Provisional
Flow 9.4 cfs 2026-10-18 12:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear Creek near Marcelline (usgs:05495500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/bear-creek-near-marcelline

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.