Skokie River at Lake Forest water level

Name: Skokie River at Lake Forest 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, Skokie River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.08ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:55 PM CDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 5.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Skokie River at Lake Forest is at 2.08 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.16 ft above the median of 1.93 ft for mid-October, based on 32 years of readings. It is 3.92 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.07 ft (+0.01 ft).

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.99 ft and 3.05 ft.

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

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.93 ft0.16 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.41 ft – 2.48 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.07 ft+0.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.99 ft – 3.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.81 ft – 3.65 ft
Highest on record: 9.09 ftJuly 12, 2017

Floating and fishing near Skokie River at Lake Forest

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 6.00 ft, 3.92 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Widespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain reaches multiple blocks from the river in Highland Park. Numerous residences may be threatened near the creek off Onwentsia Road and Westleight Road in Lake Forest.
11.50 ft: Lake Forest Police Department may be threatened. Numerous commercial structures may be threatened along US-41 (Skokie Highway) in Highland Park.
11.00 ft: Numerous residences are threatened off Half Day Road near Sleepy Hollow Park, near Central Avenue and Beverly Place in Highland Park, and near Highland Park High School. Structures are threatened at Highland Park High School. Half Day Road is threatened in Highland Park.
10.50 ft: US-41 (Skokie Highway) is threatened near Rockland Road in Lake Bluff.
10.00 ft: Onwentsia Road, Deerpath Road, and Old Elm Road are threatened in Lake Forest. Numerous residential streets are threatened off Onwentsia Road and Westleigh Road in Lake Forest.
9.00 ft: A few residences are threatened off Half Day Road near Sleepy Hollow Park, and near Central Avenue and Beverly Place in Highland Park. Roadways and parking areas are threatened near Centennial Ice Arena in Highland Park. Athletic fields are threatened at Cunniff Park in Highland Park.
7.00 ft: Athletic fields are threatened at Highland Park High School.
6.50 ft: Numerous residential streets are threatened off Half Day Road near Sleepy Hollow Park in Highland Park. Parking lots threatened off Park Avenue near Skokie Highway (US-41) in Highland Park.
6.00 ft: Trail Way threatened near Sleepy Hollow Park in Highland Park.
5.50 ft: Low-lying sections of Deerpath Golf Course and Onwentsia Golf Course are inundated in Lake Forest. Low-lying sections of Highland Park Country Club are inundated.
2.08 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.09 ft	July 12, 2017
2	8.35 ft	July 22, 1982
3	8.27 ft	September 26, 1986
4	7.94 ft	December 3, 1982
5	7.78 ft	October 13, 2001
6	7.70 ft	April 18, 2013
7	7.67 ft	May 13, 2010
8	7.35 ft	September 3, 2018
9	7.33 ft	October 14, 2017
10	7.24 ft	February 21, 1997

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.44 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 37° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 61° 41° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 66° 41° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 65° 52° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 52° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 56° 0.02 in Wind 3 mph

23 Fri 70° 56° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Skokie River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Skokie River near Highland ParkRiver gauge, Skokie River	2.80 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	5.6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	7.58 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	4.4 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	7.25 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	4.5 mi
North Branch Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, North Branch Chicago River	4.50 ft	Normal	−0.13 ft	5.7 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at NorthbrookRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	0.99 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Buffalo Creek near WheelingRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	1.70 ft	Normal	+0.06 ft	8 mi
Des Plaines River near GurneeRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	2.98 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	9 mi
Mc Donald Creek near Mount ProspectRiver gauge, Mc Donald Creek	0.97 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	10 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.29 ft	High	−0.09 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Skokie River at Lake Forest compare with last year?

It is 0.01 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.07 ft.

What is flood stage for the Skokie River at Lake Forest?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 3.92 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Skokie River at Lake Forest in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.93 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.41 ft and 2.48 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 Skokie River at Lake Forest today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:55 PM CDT, the water level was 2.08 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Skokie River at Lake Forest rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Skokie River at Lake Forest normal?

Normal 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:05535000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.23250, -87.84528 (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	2.08 ft	2026-10-18 19:55	Provisional
Flow	5.0 cfs	2026-10-18 19:55	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Skokie River at Lake Forest (usgs:05535000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/skokie-river-at-lake-forest

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