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Spoon River at London Mills water level

River gauge, Spoon River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Very high for mid-October

Water level

5.26ft Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
1,010 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 28.03 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
246ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 18246ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
51015ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18Minor flood stage51015ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18Minor flood stage
1020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage1020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Spoon River at London Mills shows 5.26 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 2.88 ft above the median of 2.38 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 9.74 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.75 ft (+3.51 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.55 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.10 ft and 13.57 ft.

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

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.38 ft2.88 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.84 ft – 5.13 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
1.75 ft+3.51 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.10 ft – 13.57 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.76 ft – 18.92 ft
Highest on record
28.03 ftJune 23, 1974

High water at Spoon River at London Mills

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.

What happens at each level

27.70 ft
London Mills levee overtops.
24.00 ft
Illinois Route 116 is inundated.
15.00 ft
Minor flooding begins to agricultural land near the river.
5.26 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: 32 %.

RankLevelDate
128.03 ftJune 23, 1974
226.18 ftApril 19, 2013
325.92 ftJuly 25, 1993
425.28 ftMay 16, 2009
525.15 ftMarch 4, 1985
625.01 ftMay 16, 1970
724.36 ftOctober 4, 1986
824.21 ftMay 28, 1996
924.14 ftJune 3, 1980
1023.73 ftJuly 22, 1951

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 34° – Wind 8 mph
18 Sun 64° 37° – Wind 13 mph
19 Mon 67° 37° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 69° 49° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 71° 50° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 72° 53° – Wind 7 mph
23 Fri 75° 54° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:18 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Spoon River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Spoon River near St. JosephRiver gauge, Spoon River 4.17 ft High −0.01 ft 124 mi
Spoon River at SevilleRiver gauge, Spoon River 8.97 ft Very high +0.36 ft 15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Illinois River at Copperas CreekRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.16 ft Normal −0.58 ft 26 mi
Illinois River at Kingston MinesRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.56 ft Normal −0.65 ft 28 mi
Indian Creek near WyomingRiver gauge, Indian Creek 10.26 ft High −0.12 ft 32 mi
Mason Tazewell Drainage D at Cr2350e near TopekaRiver gauge, Mason Tazewell Drainage D 15.42 ft Very high −0.01 ft 33 mi
Henderson Creek near OquawkaRiver gauge, Henderson Creek 16.40 ft Very high −0.62 ft 36 mi
Fondulac Creek near East PeoriaRiver gauge, Fondulac Creek 1.37 ft Very low ±0 39 mi
Mackinaw River near Green ValleyRiver gauge, Mackinaw River 13.85 ft Normal +0.01 ft 39 mi
Farm Creek at FarmdaleRiver gauge, Farm Creek 0.57 ft Very low −0.04 ft 41 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Spoon River at London Mills compare with last year?

It is 3.51 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.75 ft.

What is flood stage for the Spoon River at London Mills?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 9.74 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Spoon River at London Mills in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.38 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.84 ft and 5.13 ft, based on 33 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 Spoon River at London Mills today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:45 PM CDT, the water level was 5.26 ft. Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Spoon River at London Mills rising or falling?

Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.22 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Spoon River at London Mills normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:05569500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.70772, -90.27978 (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 5.26 ft 2026-10-18 20:45 Provisional
Flow 1,010 cfs 2026-10-18 20:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Spoon River at London Mills (usgs:05569500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/spoon-river-at-london-mills

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.