Illinois River near Tahlequah water level

Name: Illinois River near Tahlequah 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, Illinois River, Oklahoma, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.99ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 287 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:16 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Illinois River near Tahlequah, where the gauge shows 4.99 ft.

It is 6.01 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM. The 30-day range is 4.99 ft – 5.67 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 30.69 ftDecember 28, 2015
Forecast peak: 5.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

31.00 ft: devastating flooding occurs along the Illinois River from near Hanging Rock to the headwaters of Lake Tenkiller. Impacts will be similar to the record flood of 30.7 feet in December 2015. State Highway 10 is closed northeast of its intersection with Highway 51. Many cabins and parks are severely flooded or are totally isolated for an extended duration. This is a very dangerous and life threatening situation.
29.00 ft: devastating flooding occurs along the Illinois River from near Hanging Rock to the headwaters of Lake Tenkiller. State Highway 10 is closed northeast of its intersection with Highway 51. Many cabins and parks are severely flooded or are totally isolated for an extended duration. This is a very dangerous and life threatening situation. This will approach the record flood of 30.7 feet in December 2015.
27.00 ft: devastating flooding occurs along the Illinois River from near Hanging Rock to the headwaters of Lake Tenkiller. State Highway 10 is closed northeast of its intersection with Highway 51. Many cabins and parks are severely flooded or are totally isolated for an extended duration. This is a very dangerous and life threatening situation. This will exceed the April 2011 flood of 26 feet and approach the May 1950 flood of 27.9 feet.
25.00 ft: devastating flooding occurs along the Illinois River from near Hanging Rock to the headwaters of Lake Tenkiller. State Highway 10 is closed northeast of its intersection with Highway 51. Many cabins and parks are severely flooded or are totally isolated for an extended duration. This is a very dangerous and life threatening situation. This will approach the April 2011 flood, which reached 26 feet.
23.00 ft: extremely severe flooding occurs along the Illinois River from near Hanging Rock to the headwaters of Lake Tenkiller. State Highway 10 is closed northeast of its intersection with Highway 62. Several cabins and parks are severely flooded and many others are isolated for an extended duration. This is a very dangerous and life threatening situation.
21.00 ft: very severe flooding occurs from near Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. State Highway 10 is closed between Hanging Rock and No Head Hollow north of the Highway 10 intersection with Highway 62. Several cabins and parks are severely flooded and many others are isolated. This is a very dangerous and life threatening situation.
19.00 ft: severe flooding occurs from near Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. State Highway 10 near Hanging Rock and near No Head Hollow north of the intersection with Highway 62 is impassable. Some cabins and parks are severely flooded. This is a very dangerous situation.
18.00 ft: severe flooding occurs from near Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. Highway 10 near Hanging Rock northeast of Tahlequah is impassable. Some cabins and parks are severely flooded. This is a very dangerous situation. Extreme turbulence makes the river too hazardous for floating.
17.00 ft: severe flooding occurs from Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. Access roads east of Combs Bridge near Eagles Bluff are impassable. Some cabins and parks may be flooded to a depth of a couple of feet. Extreme turbulence makes the river too hazardous for floating.
15.00 ft: moderate flooding occurs from Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. Access roads east of the Combs Bridge near Eagles Bluff are impassable. Some cabins and parks may begin to flood. Extreme turbulence makes the river too hazardous for floating.
14.00 ft: moderate flooding occurs from Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. Access roads east of the Combs Bridge near Eagles Bluff will be impassable. Extreme turbulence makes the river too hazardous for floating.
13.00 ft: minor flooding occurs from near Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. Access roads east of the Combs Bridge near Eagles Bluff may be threatened. Extreme turbulence makes the river too hazardous for floating.
4.99 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: 35 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.69 ft	December 28, 2015
2	29.29 ft	April 30, 2017
3	27.94 ft	May 10, 1950
4	27.53 ft	May 6, 2022
5	26.00 ft	January 1, 1916
6	25.97 ft	April 26, 2011
7	25.37 ft	May 11, 1943
8	23.60 ft	April 15, 1945
9	23.02 ft	June 9, 1974
10	22.54 ft	October 1, 1986

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 76° 42° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 77° 50° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 81° 53° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 80° 57° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 81° 58° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 81° 59° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 77° 61° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Illinois River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Illinois River at SavoyRiver gauge, Illinois River	24.2 cfs	Normal	−1.5 cfs	35 mi
Illinois River at Hwy. 16 near Siloam Springs ARRiver gauge, Illinois River	181 cfs	Normal	−70.0 cfs	28 mi
Illinois River near WattsRiver gauge, Illinois River	2.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	24 mi
Illinois River at CheweyRiver gauge, Illinois River	2.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Illinois River near MoodysRiver gauge, Illinois River	3.61 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	7 mi
Illinois River near GoreRiver gauge, Illinois River	6.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	26 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Baron Fork at EldonRiver gauge, Baron Fork	5.63 ft	Below flood stage	±0	4.7 mi
Caney Creek near BarberRiver gauge, Caney Creek	12.3 cfs	Low	±0	10 mi
Flint Creek near KansasRiver gauge, Flint Creek	6.02 ft	Below flood stage	±0	22 mi
Arkansas River near MuskogeeRiver gauge, Arkansas River	18.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	24 mi
Baron Fork at Dutch MillsRiver gauge, Baron Fork	2.2 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	25 mi
Lake Frances at Pump Station near WattsLake, Lake Frances	910.70 ft	Very high	−0.14 ft	25 mi
Neosho River near ChouteauRiver gauge, Neosho River	335 cfs	Low	−23.0 cfs	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Illinois River near Tahlequah?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 6.01 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 Illinois River near Tahlequah today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT, the water level was 4.99 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Illinois River near Tahlequah rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Illinois River near Tahlequah normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Illinois River near Tahlequah?

The highest level on record is 30.69 ft on December 28, 2015.

Is Illinois River near Tahlequah expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07196500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.92555, -94.92170 (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	4.99 ft	2026-10-20 19:30	Provisional
Flow	287 cfs	2026-10-20 19:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Illinois River near Tahlequah (usgs:07196500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oklahoma/illinois-river-near-tahlequah

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