East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle water level

Name: East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, East Branch Dupage River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.62ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 PM CDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 48.8 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle reads 5.62 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.02 ft above the median of 5.60 ft for mid-October, based on 8 years of readings. It is 7.38 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.98 ft (−0.36 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.56 ft and 10.21 ft.

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

Compared with 8 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.60 ft0.02 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.38 ft – 6.43 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (8 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.98 ft−0.36 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.56 ft – 10.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.33 ft – 12.58 ft
Highest on record: 17.50 ftApril 18, 2013
Lowest on record: 5.15 ftSeptember 15, 2021

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 13.00 ft, still 7.38 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.50 ft: Lisle High School is threatened.
19.00 ft: Residences are threatened at Seven Bridges in Woodridge.
18.00 ft: Lisle Police Department is threatened. Numerous residences threatened off Four Lakes Avenue east of the river in Lisle.
17.50 ft: US-34 (Ogden Avenue) is threatened near the river in Lisle.
17.00 ft: Numerous roadways off Maple Avenue are threatened west of the river in Lisle. Numerous roadways threatened off Four Lakes Avenue east of the river in Lisle. Roadways threatened at Seven Bridges in Woodridge.
16.50 ft: Residences are threatened along Lake Drive near Maple Avenue south of Lisle.
16.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the levee near downtown Lisle. Maple Avenue is threatened east of the river in Lisle. Four Lakes Avenue is threatened east of the river in Lisle.
15.50 ft: Without flood protection, IL-53 is threatened near downtown Lisle. Lake Drive and Forest View Road are threatened near Maple Avenue south of Lisle.
15.00 ft: Water reaches the top of levee at Lisle Community Park. Low-lying parking lots are threatened at Lisle High School.
13.50 ft: Without flood protection, residences are threatened along Lacey Avenue, River Drive, Dumoulin Avenue, and McKinley Avenue in Lisle. Short Street is threatened west of the river in Lisle. Parking lots are threatened at Lisle Community Park.
12.50 ft: Riverview Drive threatened in Lisle. Without flood protection, Lacey Avenue, River Drive, Dumoulin Avenue, and McKinley Avenue are threatened near the river in Lisle.
12.00 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks at Lisle Community Park.
5.62 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.50 ft	April 18, 2013
2	15.91 ft	May 18, 2020
3	14.90 ft	October 10, 1954
4	13.80 ft	April 25, 1950
5	12.39 ft	April 30, 2020
6	12.38 ft	September 11, 2022
7	12.16 ft	June 26, 2021
8	11.63 ft	May 3, 2022
9	11.37 ft	July 15, 2024
10	11.06 ft	October 25, 2021

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 42° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 42° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 71° 48° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 70° 54° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 71° 55° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 71° 56° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 69° 53° 0.02 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. Joseph Creek at Route 34 at LisleRiver gauge, St. Joseph Creek	4.31 ft	High	+0.02 ft	0.8 mi
East Branch Du Page River near Downers GroveRiver gauge, East Branch Du Page River	12.12 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	3.1 mi
West Branch Du Page River near WarrenvilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River	7.84 ft	High	−0.03 ft	5.1 mi
East Branch Du Page River at BolingbrookRiver gauge, East Branch Du Page River	14.95 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	5.2 mi
West Branch Du Page River near NapervilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River	4.43 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	5.7 mi
Spring Brook at 87th Street near NapervilleRiver gauge, Spring Brook	2.94 ft	Normal	+0.06 ft	6 mi
Kress Creek at West ChicagoRiver gauge, Kress Creek	4.18 ft	High	±0	8 mi
Salt Creek at 22nd Street at Oak BrookRiver gauge, Salt Creek	48.00 ft	Normal	−0.13 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

How does the East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle compare with last year?

It is 0.36 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.98 ft.

What is flood stage for the East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 7.38 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.60 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.38 ft and 6.43 ft, based on 8 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 East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 PM CDT, the water level was 5.62 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 8 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:05540228 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.79281, -88.07897 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	5.62 ft	2026-10-20 22:45	Provisional
Flow	48.8 cfs	2026-10-20 22:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: East Branch Dupage River at Short St at Lisle (usgs:05540228). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/east-branch-dupage-river-at-short-st-at-lisle

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