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Fox River at Montgomery water level

River gauge, Fox River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

11.80ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
1,640 cfs
13 15 Highest onrecord 16.50 ft Minor floodstage 13.50 ft

History

111213ftOct 11Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Minor flood stage111213ftOct 11Oct 14Oct 17Minor flood stage
111213ftSep 18Sep 25Oct 2Oct 10Oct 17Minor flood stage111213ftSep 18Oct 2Oct 17Minor flood stage
111213ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage111213ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
111213ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026111213ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Fox River at Montgomery is at 11.80 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 11.24 ft, based on 24 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.56 ft above typical. It is 1.70 ft below the flood stage of 13.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 11.02 ft, a difference of +0.78 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 11.52 ft and 12.76 ft.

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

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
11.24 ft0.56 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
10.97 ft – 12.86 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year
11.02 ft+0.78 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
11.52 ft – 12.76 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
11.01 ft – 13.54 ft
Highest on record
16.50 ftJuly 18, 1996

Floating and fishing near Fox River at Montgomery

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

Flood stage here is 13.50 ft, 1.70 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

21.50 ft
Batavia City Hall and Batavia Police Department threatened.
19.50 ft
North Aurora City Hall threatened.
19.00 ft
Structures threatened at Stolp Island in downtown Aurora. Structures threatened at Cool Acres Park in Aurora. River Street near Sullivan Road threatened in Aurora. IL-25 threatened near Laurel Street in Batavia.
18.50 ft
Industrial structures are threatened along Harrison Street in Oswego.
18.00 ft
A few residences threatened along IL-25 (East River Road) in Montgomery. A few residences are threatened along Marina Drive between Montgomery and Oswego. Low-lying parking lots threatened in downtown Aurora.
17.50 ft
Mooseheart wastewater treatment plant property is threatened. A few structures threatened along River Street near South River Street Park in Aurora. River Street is threatened at South River Street Park and near Ashland Avenue in Aurora.
17.00 ft
Batavia wastewater treatment plant property is threatened.
16.50 ft
Fox Metro Wastewater Reclamation facility property is threatened south of Montomgery.
16.00 ft
IL-25 (East River Road) is threatened near 1st Avenue in Montgomery. Harrison Street is threatened in Oswego. Flinn Street and Shumway Avenue threatened in Batavia.
15.50 ft
A couple structures threatened in downtown Batavia. IL-25 (East River Road) is threatened near Boulder Hill Pass. Numerous sections of Fox River Trail are threatened in Oswego. Low-lying trails threatened at Lippold Park between Batavia and North Aurora. Athletic fields at South River Street Park are inundated in Aurora.
15.00 ft
Residences are threatened along River Street near Ashland Avenue in Montgomery. Veterans Memorial threatened at Illinois Avenue in Aurora. Low-lying sections of Hudson Crossing Park are inundated in Oswego.
14.50 ft
Athletic fields threatened at Clark Island Park in Batavia.
11.80 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: 7 %.

RankLevelDate
116.50 ftJuly 18, 1996
215.14 ftApril 18, 2013
315.12 ftSeptember 14, 2008
414.77 ftAugust 24, 2007
514.66 ftMay 18, 2020
614.46 ftMay 15, 2020
714.37 ftJune 15, 2015
814.21 ftJuly 23, 2017
914.11 ftDecember 28, 2008
1014.06 ftJuly 24, 2010

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.46 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 54° 37° – Wind 10 mph
18 Sun 61° 38° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 65° 40° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 66° 48° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 67° 48° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 69° 51° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 69° 53° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the Fox River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Fox River at PrincetonRiver gauge, Fox River 5.21 ft Below flood stage +0.22 ft 152 mi
Fox River at WaukeshaRiver gauge, Fox River 3.21 ft Below flood stage −0.08 ft 88 mi
Fox River at Waterford Dam, at WaterfordRiver gauge, Fox River 1.61 ft Very low −0.08 ft 72 mi
Fox River at RochesterRiver gauge, Fox River 4.30 ft Normal −0.18 ft 70 mi
Fox River near New MunsterRiver gauge, Fox River 7.04 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 61 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River 3.94 ft Low −0.15 ft 45 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River 3.88 ft Low −0.21 ft 40 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River 1.74 ft Normal −0.03 ft 30 mi
Fox River at South ElginRiver gauge, Fox River 12.86 ft Normal +0.07 ft 18 mi
Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater)River gauge, Fox River 6.88 ft Normal +0.04 ft 18 mi
Fox River at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River 13.03 ft Normal −0.03 ft 8 mi
Fox River at DaytonRiver gauge, Fox River 7.55 ft High −0.26 ft 34 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Waubonsee Creek near OswegoRiver gauge, Waubonsee Creek 8.11 ft Normal −0.15 ft 2.3 mi
Blackberry Creek near MontgomeryRiver gauge, Blackberry Creek 4.24 ft High −0.28 ft 2.6 mi
Blackberry Creek near YorkvilleRiver gauge, Blackberry Creek 4.37 ft High −0.16 ft 7 mi
Mill Creek near BataviaRiver gauge, Mill Creek 2.71 ft Normal −0.30 ft 8 mi
Fox River Tailwater at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River Tailwater 7.62 ft Normal −0.13 ft 8 mi
Fox River Bypass at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River Bypass 9.33 ft Normal −0.05 ft 8 mi
Spring Brook at 87th Street near NapervilleRiver gauge, Spring Brook 3.22 ft Normal +0.16 ft 9 mi
Du Page River near PlainfieldRiver gauge, Du Page River 7.39 ft Normal −0.45 ft 9 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Fox River at Montgomery higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.78 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 11.02 ft.

What is flood stage for the Fox River at Montgomery?

The official flood stage is 13.50 ft. The level is currently 1.70 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Fox River at Montgomery in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 11.24 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 10.97 ft and 12.86 ft, based on 24 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 Fox River at Montgomery today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 11.80 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Fox River at Montgomery rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.28 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Fox River at Montgomery normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:05551540 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.73355, -88.33334 (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 11.80 ft 2026-10-17 20:00 Provisional
Flow 1,640 cfs 2026-10-17 20:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fox River at Montgomery (usgs:05551540). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/fox-river-at-montgomery

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