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Skillet Fork at Wayne City water level

River gauge, Skillet Fork, Illinois, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

4.08ft Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

10 20 Highest onrecord 26.68 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
456ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 18456ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
246ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18246ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Skillet Fork at Wayne City: the gauge reads 4.08 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.95 ft, based on 32 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.87 ft below typical. It is 10.92 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.86 ft, a difference of −0.78 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.58 ft – 4.08 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
4.95 ft0.87 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.52 ft – 6.36 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year
4.86 ft−0.78 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.58 ft – 4.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.56 ft – 14.67 ft
Highest on record
26.68 ftMay 8, 1961

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

26.68 ft
This flood will exceed the highest stage on record. Large amounts of property damage can be expected. Evacuation of many homes and businesses becomes necessary.
15.00 ft
Minor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
4.08 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: 23 %.

RankLevelDate
126.68 ftMay 8, 1961
225.75 ftMay 17, 1990
325.57 ftApril 6, 2025
425.44 ftApril 6, 2025
524.60 ftNovember 20, 1985
624.08 ftDecember 29, 2015
723.71 ftMay 18, 1995
823.49 ftNovember 15, 1993
923.29 ftMarch 20, 2008
1022.88 ftApril 28, 2011

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 35° – Wind 9 mph
19 Mon 69° 40° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 71° 51° – Wind 5 mph
21 Wed 73° 50° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 74° 52° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 75° 52° – Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 77° 54° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 49%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Casey Fork at Mount VernonRiver gauge, Casey Fork 1.63 ft Normal −0.04 ft 16 mi
Little Wabash River near Golden GateRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 5.05 ft Normal −0.41 ft 19 mi
Little Wabash River below Clay CityRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 3.87 ft Normal −0.02 ft 24 mi
Rayse Creek near WaltonvilleRiver gauge, Rayse Creek 1.22 ft Normal −0.03 ft 26 mi
Little Wabash River at Main St at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 3.33 ft Normal +0.18 ft 30 mi
Little Wabash River at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 2.44 ft Normal +0.19 ft 31 mi
Bonpas Creek at BrownsRiver gauge, Bonpas Creek 2.17 ft Normal −1.73 ft 33 mi
East Fork Kaskaskia River near SandovalRiver gauge, East Fork Kaskaskia River 2.43 ft Normal ±0 36 mi

Questions and answers

Is Skillet Fork at Wayne City higher than last year?

No, it is 0.78 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.86 ft.

What is flood stage for Skillet Fork at Wayne City?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 10.92 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Skillet Fork at Wayne City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.95 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.52 ft and 6.36 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 Skillet Fork at Wayne City today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 AM CDT, the water level was 4.08 ft. Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Skillet Fork at Wayne City rising or falling?

Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.68 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Skillet Fork at Wayne City normal?

Very 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:03380500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.36333, -88.58778 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 4.08 ft 2026-10-18 12:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Skillet Fork at Wayne City (usgs:03380500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/skillet-fork-at-wayne-city

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.