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Des Plaines River near Lemont water level

River gauge, Des Plaines River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.50ft Down 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
716 cfs
5 10 Highest onrecord 13.24 ft Minor floodstage 10.00 ft

History

6810ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 18Minor flood stage6810ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18Minor flood stage
6810ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18Minor flood stage6810ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18Minor flood stage
6810ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage6810ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
6810ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20266810ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The Des Plaines River near Lemont is at 6.50 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.53 ft above the median of 5.97 ft for mid-October, based on 15 years of readings. It is 3.50 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.37 ft (+1.13 ft).

It has dropped 0.49 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.45 ft and 9.66 ft.

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

Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5.97 ft0.53 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
5.17 ft – 9.33 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (15 years of records)
Same day last year
5.37 ft+1.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
6.45 ft – 9.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.18 ft – 10.88 ft
Highest on record
13.24 ftMay 18, 2020

Floating and fishing near Des Plaines River near Lemont

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

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 3.50 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.50 ft
Residences threatened near Bluff Road and Lemont Road.
16.00 ft
Lemont Road threatened north of the river. Flood waters may overflow into the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal near Lemont.
15.00 ft
Will County Generating Station property is threatened. Isle a la Cache Museum levee is overtopped.
14.00 ft
Bluff Road is threatened west of Lemont Road.
13.50 ft
Portions of Centennial Trail near the Romeo Road trailhead are threatened. Flood waters may overflow into the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal near Romeoville.
13.00 ft
The lower parking lot at Isle a la Cache Museum begins to flood.
12.50 ft
Romeo Road is threatened in Romeoville.
11.50 ft
Veterans Memorial Trail threatened north of the river at Keepataw Preserve.
11.00 ft
Trails at the Isle a la Cache Museum are inundated. Water may begin to overflow into the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal near Willow Springs.
10.00 ft
Low-lying areas of the Black Partridge Forest Preserve are inundated.
6.50 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 37 %.

RankLevelDate
113.24 ftMay 18, 2020
212.58 ftApril 19, 2013
312.41 ftOctober 15, 2017
412.30 ftJuly 14, 1957
511.96 ftMay 1, 2019
611.67 ftFebruary 21, 2018
711.52 ftJuly 23, 2017
811.46 ftJune 17, 2015
911.23 ftJuly 24, 2011
1011.20 ftJune 23, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.97 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 39° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 63° 39° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 67° 49° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 68° 48° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 69° 52° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 72° 58° – Wind 9 mph
24 Sat 71° 56° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Plaines River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Des Plaines River at RussellRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 4.67 ft High −0.06 ft 57 mi
Des Plaines River near GurneeRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 2.97 ft Normal −0.05 ft 47 mi
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 7.58 ft Normal −0.05 ft 37 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 9.29 ft High −0.09 ft 30 mi
Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 8.92 ft Normal −0.18 ft 26 mi
Des Plaines River at River ForestRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 4.92 ft Normal −0.41 ft 18 mi
Des Plaines River at RiversideRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 2.66 ft Normal −0.27 ft 15 mi
Des Plaines River at LyonsRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 11.23 ft Normal −0.54 ft 15 mi
Des Plaines River at Route 53 at JolietRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 538.97 ft Normal ±0 10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at LemontRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal 25.16 ft Normal −0.32 ft 1.5 mi
Long Run near LemontRiver gauge, Long Run 1.14 ft Normal −0.19 ft 2.5 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near LemontRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal 25.31 ft High −0.38 ft 3.6 mi
East Branch Du Page River at BolingbrookRiver gauge, East Branch Du Page River 15.08 ft Normal −0.16 ft 3.8 mi
Sawmill Creek near LemontRiver gauge, Sawmill Creek 8.48 ft Normal −0.08 ft 4.2 mi
West Branch Du Page River near NapervilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River 4.62 ft Normal −0.23 ft 6 mi
Du Page River near PlainfieldRiver gauge, Du Page River 7.19 ft Normal −0.21 ft 7 mi
Spring Brook at 87th Street near NapervilleRiver gauge, Spring Brook 2.97 ft Normal −0.29 ft 8 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Des Plaines River near Lemont compare with last year?

It is 1.13 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.37 ft.

What is flood stage for the Des Plaines River near Lemont?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 3.50 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Des Plaines River near Lemont in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.97 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.17 ft and 9.33 ft, based on 15 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 Des Plaines River near Lemont today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT, the water level was 6.50 ft. Down 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Plaines River near Lemont rising or falling?

Down 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.24 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Des Plaines River near Lemont normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05533600 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.67239, -88.02853 (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 6.50 ft 2026-10-18 18:00 Provisional
Flow 716 cfs 2026-10-18 18:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Plaines River near Lemont (usgs:05533600). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/des-plaines-river-near-lemont

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.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer