Kankakee River near Kouts water level

Name: Kankakee River near Kouts 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, Kankakee River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.23ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 1,180 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Kankakee River near Kouts is at 5.23 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.77 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.23 ft and 5.32 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

Highest on record: 14.52 ftMarch 24, 1982

Floating and fishing near Kankakee River near Kouts

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 5.77 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: Numerous structures and roads are inundated in northwest sections of De Motte.
16.00 ft: Widespread inundation of the floodplain reaches up to 4 miles from the river.
15.00 ft: IN-49 threatened south of the river. US-231 threatened north of the river.
14.50 ft: Residences threatened along 125 West Road/Baums Bridge Road near the river.
14.00 ft: Structures threatened along 625 West Road and 700 West Road near the river. Structures threatened near 400 West Road and 250 West Road and the river. A few structures threatened northwest of De Motte.
13.50 ft: 125 West Road/Baums Bridge Road threatened near the river.
13.00 ft: Structures threatened near IN-49 and the river. Backwater on a drainage canal threatens 1200 South Road east of IN-49. Widespread inundation of the floodplain reaches up to 3 miles from the river.
11.00 ft: Low-lying agricultural land is inundated near the river.
10.00 ft: Water overflows low-lying banks along the river.
5.23 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: 21 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.52 ft	March 24, 1982
2	14.46 ft	February 26, 2018
3	14.02 ft	March 14, 2009
4	13.98 ft	March 5, 1985
5	13.75 ft	July 24, 1996
6	13.74 ft	January 10, 1994
7	13.73 ft	January 8, 1993
8	13.59 ft	September 17, 2008
9	13.48 ft	March 1, 1997
10	13.32 ft	January 17, 2005

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 64° 37° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 39° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 48° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 71° 51° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 71° 51° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 71° 56° 0.01 in Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:05 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Kankakee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kankakee River at DavisRiver gauge, Kankakee River	6.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	19 mi
Kankakee River at Dunns BridgeRiver gauge, Kankakee River	4.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	4.1 mi
Kankakee River at ShelbyRiver gauge, Kankakee River	5.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Kankakee River at MomenceRiver gauge, Kankakee River	2.03 ft	Normal	±0	34 mi
Kankakee River near WilmingtonRiver gauge, Kankakee River	1.50 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	60 mi
Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near LorenzoRiver gauge, Kankakee River	504.57 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	64 mi
Kankakee River below Ushwy 30 near HannaRiver gauge, Kankakee River	1.89 ft	No reference yet	−0.06 ft	20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Creek at ValparaisoRiver gauge, Salt Creek	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	15 mi
Big Monon Ditch at Cr200n near MedaryvilleRiver gauge, Big Monon Ditch	126 cfs	Very high	−3.0 cfs	17 mi
Deep River at Grand Blvd at MerrillvilleRiver gauge, Deep River	3.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	18 mi
Iroquois River near ParrRiver gauge, Iroquois River	0.4 cfs	Normal	±0	20 mi
Yellow River at KnoxRiver gauge, Yellow River	5.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	22 mi
Deep River at Lake George Outlet at HobartRiver gauge, Deep River	4.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	23 mi
Iroquois River at RensselaerRiver gauge, Iroquois River	4.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Kankakee River near Kouts?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 5.77 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 Kankakee River near Kouts today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT, the water level was 5.23 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Kankakee River near Kouts rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Kankakee River near Kouts normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kankakee River near Kouts?

The highest level on record is 14.52 ft on March 24, 1982.

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:05517530 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.25391, -87.03389 (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	5.23 ft	2026-10-19 17:00	Provisional
Flow	1,180 cfs	2026-10-19 17:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kankakee River near Kouts (usgs:05517530). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/kankakee-river-near-kouts

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