Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls water level

Name: Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls 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, Rock River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

6.61ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT (33 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The gauge at Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls shows 6.61 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 6.26 ft, based on 22 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.36 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 6.42 ft, a difference of +0.19 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 6.38 ft and 6.94 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.26 ft0.36 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 6.00 ft – 6.50 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.42 ft+0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.38 ft – 6.94 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.55 ft – 7.08 ft

High water at Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.22 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 38° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 45° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 69° 49° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 54° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 72° 55° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 72° 58° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Rock River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rock River at JeffersonRiver gauge, Rock River	4.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	95 mi
Rock River at Fort AtkinsonRiver gauge, Rock River	11.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	90 mi
Rock River at NewvilleRiver gauge, Rock River	2.71 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	79 mi
Rock River at AftonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	65 mi
Rock River at RocktonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.19 ft	High	−0.07 ft	55 mi
Rock River at Latham ParkRiver gauge, Rock River	5.32 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	51 mi
Rock River at Auburn St at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	3.23 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	47 mi
Rock River above Dam at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	2.64 ft	High	−0.03 ft	45 mi
Rock River at ByronRiver gauge, Rock River	7.10 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	32 mi
Rock River at DixonRiver gauge, Rock River	9.40 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	11 mi
Rock River at ComoRiver gauge, Rock River	5.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	3.7 mi
Rock River near JoslinRiver gauge, Rock River	7.33 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	31 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elkhorn Creek near PenroseRiver gauge, Elkhorn Creek	3.26 ft	High	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Mississippi River at Dam 13 near FultonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	5.03 ft	Below flood stage	+0.16 ft	26 mi
Mississippi River at ClintonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	9.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	30 mi
Big Bureau Creek at PrincetonRiver gauge, Big Bureau Creek	3.16 ft	Very high	−0.05 ft	30 mi
Green River near GeneseoRiver gauge, Green River	4.73 ft	High	−0.11 ft	32 mi
Pecatonica River at FreeportRiver gauge, Pecatonica River	5.92 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.19 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.42 ft.

What is a normal level for the Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.26 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.00 ft and 6.50 ft, based on 22 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 Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT, the water level was 6.61 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.16 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 22 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:05443000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.78717, -89.67708 (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	6.61 ft	2026-10-20 06:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/10188?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock Falls (usgs:05443000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/rock-river-above-sinnissippi-dam-at-rock-falls

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