Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek water level

Name: Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek 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, Mill Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.86ft Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 52.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek reads 6.86 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.74 ft above the median of 6.12 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 4.14 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.68 ft (+1.18 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 6.86 ft and 9.39 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.12 ft0.74 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.68 ft – 7.95 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.68 ft+1.18 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.86 ft – 9.39 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.82 ft – 11.44 ft
Highest on record: 13.21 ftJuly 12, 2017

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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 11.00 ft, still 4.14 ft away.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: I-94 may be threatened between Old Mill Creek and Wadsworth.
16.00 ft: Millburn Road may be threatened in Old Mill Creek.
15.50 ft: Dilleys Road threatened between Old Mill Creek and Wadsworth.
14.50 ft: Hunt Club Road threatened in Old Mill Creek.
12.50 ft: US-41 threatened in Wadsworth.
12.00 ft: Widepsread inundation of agricultural and forest land in Old Mill Creek and Wadsworth.
11.00 ft: Agricultural and forest land is inundated in Old Mill Creek and Wadsworth.
10.00 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks in Old Mill Creek.
6.86 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.21 ft	July 12, 2017
2	13.18 ft	June 19, 2009
3	12.98 ft	April 15, 2013
4	12.77 ft	September 13, 2019
5	12.34 ft	June 27, 2018
6	12.21 ft	April 23, 1999
7	12.06 ft	June 30, 1993
8	12.03 ft	June 9, 2008
9	12.01 ft	May 18, 2000
10	11.98 ft	May 13, 2010

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on Mill Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mill Creek at Quaker Street near MottvilleRiver gauge, Mill Creek	15.6 cfs	Very low	−2.7 cfs	121 mi
Mill Creek at MilanRiver gauge, Mill Creek	2.21 ft	High	+0.04 ft	149 mi
Mill Creek near BataviaRiver gauge, Mill Creek	2.59 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	44 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Plaines River near GurneeRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	2.98 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	5.1 mi
Des Plaines River at RussellRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	4.66 ft	High	−0.07 ft	5.6 mi
Fox Lake near Lake VillaLake, Fox Lake	4.09 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Channel Lake near AntiochLake, Channel Lake	4.25 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	10 mi
Nippersink Lake at Fox LakeLake, Nippersink Lake	4.02 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	11 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River	3.82 ft	Very low	−0.12 ft	14 mi
Skokie River at Lake ForestRiver gauge, Skokie River	2.07 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	14 mi
Nippersink Creek near Spring GroveRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek	4.74 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	14 mi

Questions and answers

How does Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek compare with last year?

It is 1.18 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.68 ft.

What is flood stage for Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 4.14 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.12 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.68 ft and 7.95 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 Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT, the water level was 6.86 ft. Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek rising or falling?

Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek normal?

Normal 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:05527950 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.41528, -87.96917 (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	6.86 ft	2026-10-18 19:00	Provisional
Flow	52.9 cfs	2026-10-18 19:00	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/15336?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek (usgs:05527950). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/mill-creek-at-old-mill-creek

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