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Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater) water level

River gauge, Fox River, Illinois, United States

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Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.82ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

6 7 8

History

History
678ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19678ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
678ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19678ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
68ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202668ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
68ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202668ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The gauge at Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater) reads 6.82 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 6.36 ft, based on 17 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.46 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 6.16 ft, a difference of +0.66 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 6.80 ft and 7.84 ft.

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

Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
6.36 ft0.46 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
5.99 ft – 8.13 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (17 years of records)
Same day last year
6.16 ft+0.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
6.80 ft – 7.84 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.95 ft – 9.37 ft

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.11 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 62° 38° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 66° 41° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 66° 48° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 68° 52° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 69° 53° – Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 67° 53° – Wind 13 mph
25 Sun 65° 51° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Fox River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Fox River at PrincetonRiver gauge, Fox River 5.20 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 135 mi
Fox River at WaukeshaRiver gauge, Fox River 3.14 ft Below flood stage −0.05 ft 70 mi
Fox River at Waterford Dam, at WaterfordRiver gauge, Fox River 1.78 ft No reference yet +0.08 ft 53 mi
Fox River at RochesterRiver gauge, Fox River 4.66 ft Normal +0.08 ft 52 mi
Fox River near New MunsterRiver gauge, Fox River 6.70 ft Below flood stage +0.05 ft 43 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River 4.05 ft Normal +0.11 ft 26 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River 4.02 ft Normal +0.16 ft 22 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River 1.66 ft Normal −0.06 ft 12 mi
Fox River at South ElginRiver gauge, Fox River 12.73 ft Normal −0.08 ft 0.0 mi
Fox River at MontgomeryRiver gauge, Fox River 11.71 ft Normal −0.07 ft 18 mi
Fox River at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River 12.96 ft Normal −0.06 ft 26 mi
Fox River at DaytonRiver gauge, Fox River 7.32 ft Normal −0.18 ft 49 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Poplar Creek at ElginRiver gauge, Poplar Creek 1.30 ft Normal −0.06 ft 2.9 mi
Tyler Creek at ElginRiver gauge, Tyler Creek 5.76 ft Normal −0.03 ft 4.3 mi
Ferson Creek near St. CharlesRiver gauge, Ferson Creek 1.90 ft Below flood stage −0.05 ft 5.0 mi
West Branch Du Page River near West ChicagoRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River 3.96 ft Normal −0.08 ft 8 mi
Kress Creek at West ChicagoRiver gauge, Kress Creek 4.20 ft Normal −0.08 ft 11 mi
Mill Creek near BataviaRiver gauge, Mill Creek 2.40 ft Normal −0.16 ft 11 mi
Fox River (Tailwater) at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater) 6.12 ft Normal −0.30 ft 11 mi
West Branch Du Page River near WarrenvilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River 7.89 ft High −0.14 ft 14 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater) higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.66 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.16 ft.

What is a normal level for the Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater) in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.36 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.99 ft and 8.13 ft, based on 17 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 Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater) today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:45 AM CDT, the water level was 6.82 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater) rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.19 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater) normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 17 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:05551001 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.99619, -88.29500 (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 6.82 ft 2026-10-19 12:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater) (usgs:05551001). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/fox-river-at-south-elgin-il-tailwater

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.