Kishwaukee River at Marengo water level

Name: Kishwaukee River at Marengo 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, Kishwaukee River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

7.92ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 AM CDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 117 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Kishwaukee River at Marengo is at 7.92 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 7.22 ft, based on 15 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.70 ft above typical. It is 4.08 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.73 ft, a difference of +1.19 ft.

It has dropped 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 7.66 ft and 10.19 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: 7.22 ft0.70 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 6.82 ft – 9.52 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (15 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.73 ft+1.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.66 ft – 10.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 6.75 ft – 11.67 ft
Highest on record: 13.06 ftSeptember 4, 2018

Floating and fishing near Kishwaukee River at Marengo

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

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 4.08 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Residences threatened along Woodbine Lane in Marengo.
14.00 ft: Marengo Water Treatment Facility property threatened. Deerpass Road threatened north of Marengo.
13.50 ft: IL-23 (State Street) threatened in Marengo.
12.00 ft: Boone-McHenry County Line Road is threatened.
7.92 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.06 ft	September 4, 2018
2	12.67 ft	April 11, 2013
3	12.52 ft	May 18, 2020
4	12.34 ft	July 24, 2017
5	12.19 ft	July 6, 2022
6	12.12 ft	February 21, 2018
7	11.86 ft	June 27, 2018
8	11.77 ft	September 14, 2019
9	11.52 ft	March 13, 2019
10	11.51 ft	April 30, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.36 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 34° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 57° 39° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 63° 38° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 66° 46° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 67° 47° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 70° 53° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 69° 52° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Kishwaukee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kishwaukee River at BelvidereRiver gauge, Kishwaukee River	2.02 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	13 mi
Kishwaukee River near PerryvilleRiver gauge, Kishwaukee River	6.46 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	21 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Nippersink Creek above Wonder LakeRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek	5.18 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	15 mi
Boone Creek near Mc HenryRiver gauge, Boone Creek	1.32 ft	High	+0.09 ft	16 mi
Fox River (Tailwater) at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater)	6.51 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	18 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River	1.74 ft	High	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Piscasaw Creek near WalworthRiver gauge, Piscasaw Creek	3.4 cfs	High	−0.6 cfs	18 mi
South Branch Kishwaukee River near FairdaleRiver gauge, South Branch Kishwaukee River	2.78 ft	High	−0.05 ft	18 mi
Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater)	2.02 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	18 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River	3.89 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Kishwaukee River at Marengo higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.19 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.73 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kishwaukee River at Marengo?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 4.08 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Kishwaukee River at Marengo in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.22 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.82 ft and 9.52 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 Kishwaukee River at Marengo today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 AM CDT, the water level was 7.92 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kishwaukee River at Marengo rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kishwaukee River at Marengo 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:05438170 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.26535, -88.60849 (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	7.92 ft	2026-10-18 05:15	Provisional
Flow	117 cfs	2026-10-18 05:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kishwaukee River at Marengo (usgs:05438170). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kishwaukee-river-at-marengo

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