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Fox River at Johnsburg water level

River gauge, Fox River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.95ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

5 8 Highest onrecord 8.90 ft Minor floodstage 6.50 ft

History

History
4.04.24.4ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 184.04.24.4ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
4.04.55.0ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 184.04.55.0ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Fox River at Johnsburg is running below normal at 3.95 ft.

That puts it 0.12 ft below the median of 4.07 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. It is 2.55 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.03 ft (−0.08 ft).

It has dropped 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.89 ft and 4.92 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.07 ft0.12 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.88 ft – 4.41 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
4.03 ft−0.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.89 ft – 4.92 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.28 ft – 7.02 ft
Highest on record
8.90 ftJuly 4, 1938

Floating and fishing near Fox River at Johnsburg

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

Flood stage here is 6.50 ft, 2.55 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

4.50 ft
Fox Waterway Agency considers "no wake" order for the Fox River from Stratton Dam to Pistakee Lake.
3.95 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
18.90 ftJuly 4, 1938
27.55 ftApril 6, 1960
37.47 ftApril 22, 2013
47.37 ftJuly 17, 2017
57.10 ftOctober 3, 1986
67.07 ftApril 2, 1979
76.65 ftApril 23, 1993
86.50 ftJune 18, 2008
96.48 ftMarch 11, 1974
106.39 ftAugust 27, 2007

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.36 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 35° – Wind 10 mph
18 Sun 59° 40° – Wind 15 mph
19 Mon 65° 37° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 66° 46° – Wind 8 mph
21 Wed 67° 47° – Wind 8 mph
22 Thu 70° 52° 0.01 in Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 69° 52° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 48%

Map

Other gauges on the Fox River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Fox River at PrincetonRiver gauge, Fox River 5.23 ft Below flood stage +0.13 ft 111 mi
Fox River at WaukeshaRiver gauge, Fox River 3.21 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 43 mi
Fox River at Waterford Dam, at WaterfordRiver gauge, Fox River 1.72 ft High +0.10 ft 27 mi
Fox River at RochesterRiver gauge, Fox River 4.53 ft Normal +0.21 ft 25 mi
Fox River near New MunsterRiver gauge, Fox River 6.73 ft Below flood stage −0.36 ft 16 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River 3.88 ft Normal −0.09 ft 4.6 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River 1.73 ft High −0.04 ft 15 mi
Fox River at South ElginRiver gauge, Fox River 12.83 ft Normal −0.03 ft 26 mi
Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater)River gauge, Fox River 6.88 ft Normal +0.02 ft 26 mi
Fox River at MontgomeryRiver gauge, Fox River 11.79 ft Normal +0.01 ft 45 mi
Fox River at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River 13.03 ft Normal +0.02 ft 52 mi
Fox River at DaytonRiver gauge, Fox River 7.50 ft High −0.23 ft 74 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Nippersink Lake at Fox LakeLake, Nippersink Lake 4.06 ft Low −0.06 ft 3.3 mi
Nippersink Creek near Spring GroveRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek 4.79 ft Very high −0.10 ft 4.7 mi
Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater) 2.01 ft Normal −0.09 ft 4.7 mi
Boone Creek near Mc HenryRiver gauge, Boone Creek 1.16 ft Normal −0.05 ft 5.5 mi
Fox Lake near Lake VillaLake, Fox Lake 4.09 ft Normal −0.04 ft 6 mi
Nippersink Creek above Wonder LakeRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek 5.18 ft Normal −0.08 ft 7 mi
Elizabeth Lake Drain near Twin LakesRiver gauge, Elizabeth Lake Drain 794.01 ft High ±0 8 mi
Channel Lake near AntiochLake, Channel Lake 4.22 ft Normal +0.06 ft 8 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Fox River at Johnsburg compare with last year?

It is 0.08 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.03 ft.

What is flood stage for the Fox River at Johnsburg?

The official flood stage is 6.50 ft. The level is currently 2.55 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Fox River at Johnsburg in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.07 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.88 ft and 4.41 ft, based on 36 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 Fox River at Johnsburg today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.95 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Fox River at Johnsburg rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.11 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Fox River at Johnsburg normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 36 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:05548500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.37633, -88.23674 (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 3.95 ft 2026-10-18 09:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fox River at Johnsburg (usgs:05548500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/fox-river-at-johnsburg

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.