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Kaskaskia River below Ficklin water level

River gauge, Kaskaskia River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.63ft Up 0.44 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
40.3 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 14.00 ft

History

History
2345ftOct 11Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 172345ftOct 11Oct 14Oct 17
2345ftSep 18Sep 25Oct 2Oct 10Oct 172345ftSep 18Oct 2Oct 17
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Kaskaskia River below Ficklin is at 2.63 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.54 ft above the median of 2.09 ft for mid-October, based on 14 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 2.81 ft (−0.18 ft).

It has risen 0.44 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.09 ft and 3.34 ft.

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

Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.09 ft0.54 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.84 ft – 4.85 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year
2.81 ft−0.18 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.09 ft – 3.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.99 ft – 11.01 ft
Highest on record
14.00 ftDecember 29, 2015

Floating and fishing near Kaskaskia River below Ficklin

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

What happens at each level

14.80 ft
Water reaches low steel of bridge on U.S. Route 36.
2.63 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
114.00 ftDecember 29, 2015
213.11 ftApril 19, 2013
312.58 ftFebruary 21, 2014
412.56 ftFebruary 22, 2018
512.40 ftJune 27, 2013
612.34 ftJanuary 12, 2020
712.18 ftMay 5, 2017
811.63 ftMay 1, 2017
911.62 ftMay 25, 2024
1011.61 ftApril 30, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 55° 38° – Wind 12 mph
18 Sun 64° 35° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 70° 40° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 72° 49° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 73° 51° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 75° 52° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:13 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the Kaskaskia River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kaskaskia River at Cooks MillsRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 1.55 ft Low +0.04 ft 15 mi
Kaskaskia River at ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 6.41 ft Normal −0.01 ft 35 mi
Kaskaskia River near CowdenRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.29 ft Normal −0.09 ft 46 mi
Kaskaskia River at VandaliaRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.99 ft Normal +0.02 ft 69 mi
Kaskaskia River at CarlyleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 5.69 ft Low +0.03 ft 97 mi
Kaskaskia River near Venedy StationRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 1.54 ft Low +0.12 ft 115 mi
Kaskaskia River at New AthensRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 68.65 ft Normal +0.04 ft 130 mi
Kaskaskia River near Red BudRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 68.65 ft Normal +0.07 ft 138 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kaskaskia River Inflow at FicklinRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River Inflow 7.08 ft Very low −0.01 ft 0.7 mi
Lake Fork at AtwoodRiver gauge, Lake Fork 2.98 ft Normal +0.01 ft 5.8 mi
Embarras River near CamargoRiver gauge, Embarras River 3.49 ft Normal +0.12 ft 10 mi
West Okaw River near LovingtonRiver gauge, West Okaw River 2.28 ft Normal −0.02 ft 16 mi
Sangamon River at MonticelloRiver gauge, Sangamon River 5.09 ft Normal −0.03 ft 20 mi
Copper Slough at ChampaignRiver gauge, Copper Slough 9.93 ft Low −0.11 ft 21 mi
Whitley Creek near AllenvilleRiver gauge, Whitley Creek 2.18 ft Normal ±0 21 mi
Boneyard Creek at UrbanaRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek 10.25 ft Normal −0.10 ft 23 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Kaskaskia River below Ficklin compare with last year?

It is 0.18 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.81 ft.

What is a normal level for the Kaskaskia River below Ficklin in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.09 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.84 ft and 4.85 ft, based on 14 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 Kaskaskia River below Ficklin today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 02:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.63 ft. Up 0.44 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kaskaskia River below Ficklin rising or falling?

Up 0.44 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.46 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kaskaskia River below Ficklin normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kaskaskia River below Ficklin?

The highest level on record is 14.00 ft on December 29, 2015.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05590520 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.79172, -88.36775 (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 2.63 ft 2026-10-17 19:15 Provisional
Flow 40.3 cfs 2026-10-17 19:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kaskaskia River below Ficklin (usgs:05590520). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kaskaskia-river-below-ficklin

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.