Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood water level

Name: Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood 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, Middle Fork Vermilion River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.85ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT (18 min ago)

Flow: 21.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 0.85 ft, the Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.06 ft, based on 32 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.21 ft below typical. It is 9.15 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.68 ft, a difference of +0.17 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.84 ft and 1.05 ft.

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

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.06 ft0.21 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.66 ft – 2.43 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.68 ft+0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.84 ft – 1.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.54 ft – 17.26 ft
Highest on record: 20.46 ftApril 13, 1994

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 10.00 ft, still 9.15 ft away.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.46 ft	April 13, 1994
2	18.47 ft	February 21, 2018
3	18.42 ft	August 16, 2026
4	16.16 ft	February 6, 2008
5	15.96 ft	May 16, 1990
6	15.83 ft	December 29, 2015
7	15.79 ft	February 21, 1982
8	15.25 ft	June 7, 2015
9	14.41 ft	March 5, 1979
10	14.29 ft	December 30, 1990

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 67° 36° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 69° 42° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 72° 49° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 74° 53° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 74° 53° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 75° 51° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 76° 57° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Vermilion River near DanvilleRiver gauge, Vermilion River	2.67 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	8 mi
North Fork Vermilion River near BismarckRiver gauge, North Fork Vermilion River	4.91 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Spoon River near St. JosephRiver gauge, Spoon River	4.16 ft	High	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Salt Fork near St. JosephRiver gauge, Salt Fork	3.21 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Wabash River at CovingtonRiver gauge, Wabash River	6.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.66 ft	18 mi
Saline Branch above 1700E near UrbanaRiver gauge, Saline Branch	0.42 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Boneyard Creek at Lincoln Ave at UrbanaRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek	7.51 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	25 mi
Boneyard Creek at UrbanaRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek	10.33 ft	Normal	+0.10 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.17 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.68 ft.

What is flood stage for the Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 9.15 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.06 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.66 ft and 2.43 ft, based on 32 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 Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT, the water level was 0.85 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:03336645 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.13697, -87.74469 (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	0.85 ft	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional
Flow	21.1 cfs	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Fork Vermilion River above Oakwood (usgs:03336645). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/middle-fork-vermilion-river-above-oakwood

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