North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck water level

Name: North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck 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, North Fork Vermilion River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.91ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM CDT (23 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck, where the gauge shows 4.91 ft.

That puts it 0.17 ft above the median of 4.74 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 5.09 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.77 ft (+0.14 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.91 ft – 5.33 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: 4.74 ft0.17 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.53 ft – 7.32 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.77 ft+0.14 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.91 ft – 5.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.63 ft – 14.66 ft
Highest on record: 22.45 ftApril 12, 1994

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: 10 families affected by flood waters.
4.91 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.45 ft	April 12, 1994
2	21.97 ft	March 11, 1990
3	21.83 ft	February 21, 2018
4	20.19 ft	February 6, 2008
5	18.66 ft	December 29, 2015
6	18.62 ft	August 20, 2002
7	18.54 ft	December 30, 1990
8	18.06 ft	May 16, 1990
9	17.93 ft	January 5, 1993
10	17.58 ft	June 12, 2004

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 65° 34° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 68° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 70° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 70° 48° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 72° 51° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 73° 52° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 74° 50° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

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

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Fork Vermilion River above OakwoodRiver gauge, Middle Fork Vermilion River	0.85 ft	Low	±0	10 mi
Vermilion River near DanvilleRiver gauge, Vermilion River	2.70 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	12 mi
Wabash River at CovingtonRiver gauge, Wabash River	6.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.64 ft	15 mi
Spoon River near St. JosephRiver gauge, Spoon River	4.16 ft	High	−0.03 ft	22 mi
Salt Fork near St. JosephRiver gauge, Salt Fork	3.22 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Big Pine Creek at Pine VillageRiver gauge, Big Pine Creek	3.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Sugar Creek at MilfordRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	2.82 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Saline Branch above 1700E near UrbanaRiver gauge, Saline Branch	0.41 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does the North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck compare with last year?

It is 0.14 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.77 ft.

What is flood stage for the North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 5.09 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.53 ft and 7.32 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 North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM CDT, the water level was 4.91 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck rising or falling?

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

Is the level of North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck 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:03338780 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.26567, -87.64214 (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	4.91 ft	2026-10-19 14:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Fork Vermilion River near Bismarck (usgs:03338780). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/north-fork-vermilion-river-near-bismarck

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