Sugar Creek near Springfield water level

Name: Sugar Creek near Springfield 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, Sugar Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

9.78ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT (47 min ago)

Flow: 18.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Sugar Creek near Springfield is running below normal at 9.78 ft.

The median for mid-October is 10.02 ft, based on 16 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.24 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 9.74 ft, a difference of +0.04 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 9.60 ft and 9.84 ft.

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

Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 10.02 ft0.24 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 9.74 ft – 13.02 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
Same day last year: 9.74 ft+0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 9.60 ft – 9.84 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 9.47 ft – 22.81 ft
Highest on record: 33.12 ftJune 19, 2011

Floating and fishing near Sugar Creek near Springfield

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	33.12 ft	June 19, 2011
2	31.21 ft	December 29, 2015
3	30.08 ft	April 18, 2013
4	29.94 ft	May 18, 2020
5	29.04 ft	May 1, 2017
6	28.90 ft	May 1, 2019
7	28.41 ft	May 8, 2023
8	27.87 ft	June 22, 2019
9	27.87 ft	May 18, 2010
10	27.17 ft	July 9, 2022

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on Sugar Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sugar Creek at CrawfordsvilleRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	3.01 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	144 mi
Sugar Creek at West Terre HauteRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	1.49 ft	No reference yet	−0.11 ft	116 mi
Sugar Creek at MilfordRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	2.83 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	115 mi
Sugar Creek at Covered Bridge Road near ChathamRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	17.48 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	10 mi
Sugar Creek near BloomingtonRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	0.98 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	56 mi
Sugar Creek near AvistonRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	2.54 ft	No reference yet	−0.23 ft	80 mi
Sugar Creek at KirkwoodRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	0.4 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	95 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Sangamon River below RochesterRiver gauge, South Fork Sangamon River	4.33 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	2.3 mi
South Fork Sangamon River near RochesterRiver gauge, South Fork Sangamon River	5.03 ft	Normal	±0	2.9 mi
Sangamon River at RivertonRiver gauge, Sangamon River	2.53 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	5.0 mi
Spring Creek at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Spring Creek	1.51 ft	Low	−0.09 ft	6.2 mi
Sangamon River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Sangamon River	21.21 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	6 mi
Lick Creek near ChathamRiver gauge, Lick Creek	11.82 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Lake Fork near CornlandRiver gauge, Lake Fork	8.4 cfs	Low	+0.3 cfs	16 mi
Sangamon River at PetersburgRiver gauge, Sangamon River	4.45 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

Is Sugar Creek near Springfield higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.04 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9.74 ft.

What is a normal level for Sugar Creek near Springfield in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 10.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9.74 ft and 13.02 ft, based on 16 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 Sugar Creek near Springfield today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT, the water level was 9.78 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Sugar Creek near Springfield rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.16 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Sugar Creek near Springfield normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Sugar Creek near Springfield?

The highest level on record is 33.12 ft on June 19, 2011.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05576250 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.77914, -89.59253 (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	9.78 ft	2026-10-18 14:30	Provisional
Flow	18.5 cfs	2026-10-18 14:30	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/8945?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Sugar Creek near Springfield water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sugar Creek near Springfield (usgs:05576250). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/sugar-creek-near-springfield

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