Mississippi River at Thebes water level

Name: Mississippi River at Thebes 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, Mississippi River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

17.11ft Down 0.75 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT (19 min ago)

Flow: 195,000 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Mississippi River at Thebes is at 17.11 ft, in the normal range.

It is 15.89 ft below the flood stage of 33.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.75 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 17.11 ft and 18.67 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 47.74 ftJanuary 2, 2016

Floating and fishing near Mississippi River at Thebes

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

Flood stage here is 33.00 ft, 15.89 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

34.00 ft: The town of Thebes begins to flood.
33.00 ft: The town of Gale begins to flood.
17.11 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	47.74 ft	January 2, 2016
2	45.91 ft	May 23, 1995
3	45.52 ft	May 3, 2011
4	45.51 ft	August 7, 1993
5	45.15 ft	July 4, 1844
6	44.74 ft	April 29, 2011
7	44.31 ft	May 18, 2002
8	43.66 ft	June 11, 2019
9	43.62 ft	June 7, 2013
10	43.43 ft	April 30, 1973

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 66° 36° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 71° 45° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 75° 50° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 78° 51° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 79° 54° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 80° 55° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 81° 55° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:18 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 51%

Map

Other gauges on the Mississippi River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mississippi River at GraftonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	16.33 ft	Below flood stage	+0.66 ft	132 mi
Mississippi River at St. LouisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	9.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.88 ft	105 mi
Mississippi River at ChesterRiver gauge, Mississippi River	12.37 ft	Below flood stage	−1.13 ft	51 mi
Mississippi River at Cape GirardeauRiver gauge, Mississippi River	17.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.82 ft	6 mi
Mississippi River at New MadridRiver gauge, Mississippi River	9.36 ft	Below flood stage	−1.76 ft	44 mi
Mississippi River at MemphisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	404,000 cfs	High	+6,000 cfs	149 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at OlmstedRiver gauge, Ohio River	20.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.76 ft	22 mi
Little River Ditch No. 1 near MorehouseRiver gauge, Little River Ditch No. 1	70.5 cfs	Normal	+4.1 cfs	30 mi
Cache River at FormanRiver gauge, Cache River	8.27 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Castor River at ZalmaRiver gauge, Castor River	80.1 cfs	Normal	+2.2 cfs	34 mi
Big Muddy River at Rte 127 at MurphysboroRiver gauge, Big Muddy River	3.25 ft	Very low	+0.08 ft	38 mi
Mayfield Creek at LovelacevilleRiver gauge, Mayfield Creek	37.9 cfs	Very high	+1.3 cfs	40 mi
Massac Creek near PaducahRiver gauge, Massac Creek	0.7 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	43 mi
South Fork Saline Creek near PerryvilleRiver gauge, South Fork Saline Creek	6.6 cfs	Very low	±0	44 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Mississippi River at Thebes?

The official flood stage is 33.00 ft. The level is currently 15.89 ft below it.

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 Mississippi River at Thebes today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT, the water level was 17.11 ft. Down 0.75 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mississippi River at Thebes rising or falling?

Down 0.75 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mississippi River at Thebes normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mississippi River at Thebes?

The highest level on record is 47.74 ft on January 2, 2016.

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:07022000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.22025, -89.46317 (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	17.11 ft	2026-10-18 17:30	Provisional
Flow	195,000 cfs	2026-10-18 17:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mississippi River at Thebes (usgs:07022000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/mississippi-river-at-thebes

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