Skokie River near Highland Park water level

Name: Skokie River near Highland Park 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

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.70ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:55 PM CDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 4.5 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 near Highland Park is running far below normal at 2.70 ft.

That puts it 0.26 ft below the median of 2.96 ft for mid-October, based on 32 years of readings. It is 6.30 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.95 ft (−1.25 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.67 ft and 5.32 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: 2.96 ft0.26 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.82 ft – 3.91 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.95 ft−1.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.67 ft – 5.32 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.58 ft – 7.36 ft
Highest on record: 10.44 ftJuly 13, 2017

Floating and fishing near Skokie River near Highland Park

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 6.30 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

14.50 ft: Clavey Road Treatment Plant property is threatened in Highland Park.
13.50 ft: US-41 (Skokie Highway) may be threatened near Central Avenue/Deerfield Road in Highland Park.
12.00 ft: Without flood protection, widespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain may occur up to a half mile from the river in Winnetka and Wilmette. Numerous residences threatened off US-41 (Skokie Highway) near Fink Memorial Park in Highland Park.
11.50 ft: Central Avenue is threatened in Highland Park. Lake Cook Road is threatened in Highland Park.
11.00 ft: Numerous residences are threatened off Deerfield Place in Highland Park. Clavey Road is threatened in Highland Park.
10.00 ft: Numerous residential streets are threatened off Deerfield Place in Highland Park. Numerous roadways and parking lots are threatened at Chicago Botanical Gardens.
9.00 ft: Low-lying sections of numerous golf courses inundated in Highland Park. Athletic fields are threatened at Fink Memorial Park in Highland Park.
2.70 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.44 ft	July 13, 2017
2	9.95 ft	October 14, 2001
3	9.76 ft	April 18, 2013
4	9.47 ft	September 13, 2019
5	9.28 ft	September 3, 2018
6	9.13 ft	February 21, 1997
7	9.09 ft	August 14, 1987
8	9.09 ft	April 23, 1999
9	9.04 ft	October 15, 2017
10	8.95 ft	August 21, 2007

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.77 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 38° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 61° 41° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 66° 42° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 62° 55° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 66° 54° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 67° 57° 0.01 in Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 68° 57° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Skokie River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Skokie River at Lake ForestRiver gauge, Skokie River	2.05 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	5.6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, North Branch Chicago River	4.43 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	1.2 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at NorthbrookRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	1.00 ft	Normal	±0	2.4 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	7.22 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	3.1 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.21 ft	High	−0.08 ft	7 mi
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	7.52 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	7 mi
Mc Donald Creek near Mount ProspectRiver gauge, Mc Donald Creek	0.91 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Buffalo Creek near WheelingRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	1.56 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	8 mi
Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	8.83 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Skokie River near Highland Park compare with last year?

It is 1.25 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.95 ft.

What is flood stage for the Skokie River near Highland Park?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.30 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Skokie River near Highland Park in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.96 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.82 ft and 3.91 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 near Highland Park today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:55 PM CDT, the water level was 2.70 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Skokie River near Highland Park rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Skokie River near Highland Park 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:05535070 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.15972, -87.79806 (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	2.70 ft	2026-10-19 22:55	Provisional
Flow	4.5 cfs	2026-10-19 22:55	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Skokie River near Highland Park (usgs:05535070). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/skokie-river-near-highland-park

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