Rock River at Como water level

Name: Rock River at Como 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, Rock River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.31ft Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 03:00 AM CDT (16 min ago)

Flow: 7,770 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Rock River at Como, where the gauge shows 5.31 ft.

It is 7.19 ft below the flood stage of 12.50 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 7.19 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 3.96 ft – 8.15 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.96 ft – 8.15 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.18 ft – 13.27 ft
Highest on record: 15.64 ftJuly 23, 2017

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.50 ft.

What happens at each level

15.60 ft: Blue Goose Road near Anderson Road east of Lyndon is overtopped and south of Como, water is encroaching onto Prophetstown Road west of Luther Road.
12.80 ft: Water begins to encroach into properties on Regan Road northeast of Como.
12.30 ft: Water begins to encroach on the parking areas at Lawrence Park boat launch in Sterling and the Moline Road rest area boat launch southwest of Como.
10.00 ft: Water begins to encroach on the parking area at Prophetstown State Park.
5.31 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.64 ft	July 23, 2017
2	15.18 ft	March 16, 2019
3	14.68 ft	February 21, 2018
4	13.30 ft	October 5, 2019
5	12.97 ft	July 16, 2024
6	11.64 ft	June 16, 2015
7	9.86 ft	December 15, 2015

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.24 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 53° 35° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 62° 36° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 65° 45° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 66° 47° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 69° 49° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 65° 55° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 38%

Map

Other gauges on the Rock River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rock River at JeffersonRiver gauge, Rock River	4.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	97 mi
Rock River at Fort AtkinsonRiver gauge, Rock River	11.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	92 mi
Rock River at NewvilleRiver gauge, Rock River	2.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	82 mi
Rock River at AftonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.10 ft	68 mi
Rock River at RocktonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.39 ft	High	+0.08 ft	58 mi
Rock River at Latham ParkRiver gauge, Rock River	5.33 ft	Normal	+0.29 ft	54 mi
Rock River at Auburn St at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	3.24 ft	Normal	+0.46 ft	50 mi
Rock River above Dam at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	2.66 ft	Normal	+0.37 ft	48 mi
Rock River at ByronRiver gauge, Rock River	7.04 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	35 mi
Rock River at DixonRiver gauge, Rock River	9.56 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	14 mi
Rock River above Sinnissippi Dam at Rock FallsRiver gauge, Rock River	6.75 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	3.7 mi
Rock River near JoslinRiver gauge, Rock River	7.37 ft	High	+0.05 ft	27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elkhorn Creek near PenroseRiver gauge, Elkhorn Creek	3.32 ft	High	−0.04 ft	9 mi
Mississippi River at Dam 13 near FultonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	4.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	23 mi
Mississippi River at ClintonRiver gauge, Mississippi River	9.38 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	26 mi
Green River near GeneseoRiver gauge, Green River	5.11 ft	High	+0.31 ft	29 mi
Big Bureau Creek at PrincetonRiver gauge, Big Bureau Creek	3.35 ft	Very high	+0.19 ft	31 mi
Pecatonica River at FreeportRiver gauge, Pecatonica River	5.77 ft	Normal	+0.26 ft	37 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rock River at Como?

The official flood stage is 12.50 ft. The level is currently 7.19 ft below it.

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 Rock River at Como today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 03:00 AM CDT, the water level was 5.31 ft. Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Rock River at Como rising or falling?

Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.59 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rock River at Como normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rock River at Como?

The highest level on record is 15.64 ft on July 23, 2017.

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:05443500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.77222, -89.74556 (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	5.31 ft	2026-10-17 08:00	Provisional
Flow	7,770 cfs	2026-10-17 08:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rock River at Como (usgs:05443500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/rock-river-at-como

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