Little Calumet River at Porter water level

Name: Little Calumet River at Porter 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, Little Calumet River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.53ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 AM CDT (38 min ago)

Flow: 58.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Little Calumet River at Porter, where the gauge shows 3.53 ft.

It is 4.47 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.49 ft – 3.70 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: 11.30 ftSeptember 15, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 8.00 ft.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: Structures may be threatened along Wagner Road. US-20 may be threatened. Meadowbrook Road may be threatened at Westport Road. Ackerman Street may be threatened at Hawthorne Park.
15.50 ft: League Lane is threatened.
14.00 ft: I-90 is threatened. Calumet Road threatened in Chesterton.
13.00 ft: Waverly Road is threatened.
12.00 ft: Structures threatened at Dietrich Environmental Control Facility in Porter. Multiple structures threatened on Lake Vista Court. Wagner Road threatened north of the river. Indian Boundary Road and Brummitt Road may be threatened east of Chesterton.
11.00 ft: Mineral Springs Road is threatened. Brickyard Trail inundated near Field Station School in Indiana Dunes National Park. Low-lying parking lots threatened at St. Patrick Elementary School in Chesterton.
10.50 ft: A few structures may be threatened on Lake Vista Court. Riverside Drive and Westport Road threatened near IN-149. Low-lying property at Dietrich Environmental Control Facility threatened in Porter.
9.00 ft: Howe Road threatened south of the river in Indiana Dunes National Park northwest of Porter.
7.00 ft: Wetland and forest land inundated along the river in Porter and Chesterton.
5.50 ft: Little Calumet Trail inundated at Indiana Dunes National Park.
5.00 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks in Porter and Chesterton.
3.53 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.30 ft	September 15, 2008
2	10.96 ft	October 10, 1954
3	10.60 ft	February 21, 2018
4	10.53 ft	November 28, 1990
5	10.33 ft	May 10, 1996
6	10.21 ft	April 18, 1990
7	10.06 ft	July 2, 2011
8	9.99 ft	June 14, 1981
9	9.92 ft	December 25, 1965
10	9.88 ft	June 28, 1945

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 66° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 65° 42° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 42° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 68° 53° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 71° 52° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 68° 58° 0.01 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Calumet River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Calumet River at Grant St at GaryRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	14 mi
Little Calumet River near Lake StationRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	3.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Little Calumet River near HammondRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	6.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Little Calumet River at HighlandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	8.08 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi
Little Calumet River at Northcote Av at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	9.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	21 mi
Little Calumet River at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	23 mi
Little Calumet River at South HollandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.40 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	26 mi
Little Calumet River at Burr Street at GaryRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	4.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Portage-Burns Waterway at PortageCanal gauge, Portage-Burns Waterway	4.97 ft	Normal	+0.44 ft	4.6 mi
Deep River at Lake George Outlet at HobartRiver gauge, Deep River	4.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	11 mi
Salt Creek at ValparaisoRiver gauge, Salt Creek	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Deep River near LiverpoolRiver gauge, Deep River	5.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	11 mi
Trail Creek at Michigan City HarborRiver gauge, Trail Creek	36.8 cfs	Normal	−79.2 cfs	12 mi
Trail Creek at Michigan CityRiver gauge, Trail Creek	47.4 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	13 mi
Turkey Creek at 61st Av at MerrillvilleRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	5.52 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Deep River at Grand Blvd at MerrillvilleRiver gauge, Deep River	3.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Calumet River at Porter?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 4.47 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 Little Calumet River at Porter today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.53 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Calumet River at Porter rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Little Calumet River at Porter normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Calumet River at Porter?

The highest level on record is 11.30 ft on September 15, 2008.

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:04094000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.62224, -87.08744 (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	3.53 ft	2026-10-20 06:45	Provisional
Flow	58.6 cfs	2026-10-20 06:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Calumet River at Porter (usgs:04094000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/little-calumet-river-at-porter

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