Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah water level

Name: Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah 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, Silver Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Latest reading

Water level

8.28ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 19.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level

What this means

The U.S. Geological Survey has Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah at 8.28 ft. There is no published reference for this river yet, so we can't say whether that is high or low for the season.

It is still going down, by 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 7.74 ft – 9.81 ft.

Over the past seven days the change adds up to +0.21 ft.

The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only. How to read levels

Key numbers

Same day last year: 12.70 ft−4.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.74 ft – 9.81 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.74 ft – 18.22 ft
Highest on record: 20.38 ftApril 7, 2025

Paddling and fishing conditions

Compare today with the chart before you go; local outfitters often know which stage suits their stretch.

What happens at each level

25.40 ft: Silver Creek backwater will begin flooding East Drive near Cardinal Creek near this elevation, based on HEC-RAS modeling. THIS HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED. WSE = 429.8 ft.
22.90 ft: Highway 161 begins flooding 0.5 miles east of the gage across from Mascoutah Lake. This is based off HEC-RAS modeling and HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED. WSE = 422.9-423.0 ft.
19.40 ft: Scott Lake Road floods at Cardinal Creek bridge due to backwater from Silver Creek. This was verified during the 6-7 April 2025 flood with a crest of 20.3 feet. WSE = 425.4 ft.
8.28 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.38 ft	April 7, 2025
2	18.57 ft	April 23, 2025

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 71° 38° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 74° 47° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 78° 55° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 79° 55° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 80° 55° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 80° 59° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on Silver Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Silver Creek near TroyRiver gauge, Silver Creek	3.76 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	13 mi
Silver Creek near FreeburgRiver gauge, Silver Creek	0.37 ft	Low	−0.22 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kaskaskia River near Venedy StationRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	1.23 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	12 mi
Kaskaskia River at New AthensRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	68.71 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	15 mi
Richland Creek near HeckerRiver gauge, Richland Creek	27.03 ft	High	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Shoal Creek near BreeseRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	1.26 ft	Low	+0.07 ft	19 mi
Mississippi River at St. LouisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	8.05 ft	Below flood stage	−1.64 ft	20 mi
Cahokia Creek at EdwardsvilleRiver gauge, Cahokia Creek	3.22 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	22 mi
Little Crooked Creek near New MindenRiver gauge, Little Crooked Creek	4.93 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	23 mi
Kaskaskia River near Red BudRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	68.70 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

Is Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah higher than last year?

No, it is 4.42 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 12.70 ft.

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 Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 AM CDT, the water level was 8.28 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah normal?

The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah?

The highest level on record is 20.38 ft on April 7, 2025.

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:05594600 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.52544, -89.82455 (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	8.28 ft	2026-10-20 14:45	Provisional
Flow	19.5 cfs	2026-10-20 14:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Silver Creek at Route 161 near Mascoutah (usgs:05594600). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/silver-creek-at-route-161-near-mascoutah

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