Kaskaskia River Inflow at Ficklin water level

Name: Kaskaskia River Inflow at Ficklin 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, Kaskaskia River Inflow, Illinois, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

7.08ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 7.08 ft, the Kaskaskia River Inflow at Ficklin is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.40 ft below the median of 7.48 ft for mid-October, based on 14 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 7.10 ft (−0.02 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.07 ft and 7.11 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.48 ft0.40 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7.10 ft – 7.89 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year: 7.10 ft−0.02 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.07 ft – 7.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.07 ft – 8.05 ft

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

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.

18 Sun 63° 35° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 71° 50° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 72° 50° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 74° 52° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 75° 53° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 77° 54° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 53%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kaskaskia River below FicklinRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	2.29 ft	Normal	−0.31 ft	0.7 mi
Lake Fork at AtwoodRiver gauge, Lake Fork	3.00 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	6.0 mi
Embarras River near CamargoRiver gauge, Embarras River	3.26 ft	Normal	−0.23 ft	9 mi
Kaskaskia River at Cooks MillsRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	1.53 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	15 mi
West Okaw River near LovingtonRiver gauge, West Okaw River	2.26 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	17 mi
Sangamon River at MonticelloRiver gauge, Sangamon River	5.03 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	20 mi
Copper Slough at ChampaignRiver gauge, Copper Slough	9.93 ft	Normal	±0	21 mi
Whitley Creek near AllenvilleRiver gauge, Whitley Creek	2.19 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Kaskaskia River Inflow at Ficklin compare with last year?

It is 0.02 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.10 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 7.48 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.10 ft and 7.89 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 Inflow at Ficklin today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:15 PM CDT, the water level was 7.08 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Kaskaskia River Inflow at Ficklin rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Kaskaskia River Inflow at Ficklin normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 14 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:394803088215001 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.80083, -88.36389 (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	7.08 ft	2026-10-18 21:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kaskaskia River Inflow at Ficklin (usgs:394803088215001). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kaskaskia-river-inflow-at-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.

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