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Boone Creek near Mc Henry water level

River gauge, Boone Creek, Illinois, United States

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Right now

High for mid-October

Water level

1.14ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
15.3 cfs
0 3 5 8 Highest onrecord 7.48 ft Minor floodstage 7.00 ft

History

History
1.01.5ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 191.01.5ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
12ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 1912ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
123ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026123ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

High water at Boone Creek near Mc Henry: the latest reading is 1.14 ft, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.23 ft above the median of 0.91 ft for mid-October, based on 13 years of readings. It is 5.86 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.00 ft (+0.14 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.05 ft – 2.60 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
0.91 ft0.23 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.67 ft – 1.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (13 years of records)
Same day last year
1.00 ft+0.14 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.05 ft – 2.60 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.78 ft – 3.35 ft
Highest on record
7.48 ftJune 26, 2013

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

For reference, flood stage is 7.00 ft.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft
Residences may be threatened near the creek and Oakwood Drive in McHenry. Union Pacific Northwest railroad tracks may be threatened in McHenry.
13.00 ft
IL-120 (Elm Street) may be threatened in McHenry. Oakwood Court and Meadow Lane may be threatened in McHenry.
12.00 ft
Oakwood Drive may be threatened in McHenry.
10.00 ft
Commercial structures may be threatened off IL-120 (Elm Street) in McHenry. Numerous residences may be threatened near the creek along Millstream Drive, Grand Avenue, and Clearbrook Drive in McHenry. Bull Valley Road is threatened southwest of McHenry.
8.00 ft
Dartmoor Drive is threatened in McHenry.
7.00 ft
Trails are threatened at Whispering Oaks Park in McHenry.
6.00 ft
Water overtops banks near Whispering Oaks Park in McHenry.
4.00 ft
Water overtops low-lying banks near the gauge southwest of McHenry.
1.14 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
17.48 ftJune 26, 2013
25.68 ftSeptember 12, 2019
35.37 ftSeptember 27, 1986
45.36 ftMay 17, 2020
54.87 ftJune 2, 1970
64.81 ftJuly 22, 2017
74.46 ftJune 27, 2018
84.43 ftJuly 17, 2015

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 65° 39° – Wind 8 mph
20 Tue 65° 39° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 68° 40° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 71° 52° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 70° 52° – Wind 9 mph
24 Sat 69° 51° – Wind 13 mph
25 Sun 66° 51° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 62%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River 4.07 ft Normal +0.32 ft 3.2 mi
Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater) 1.60 ft Normal −0.38 ft 3.2 mi
Nippersink Creek above Wonder LakeRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek 5.06 ft Normal −0.04 ft 5.3 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River 4.04 ft Normal +0.15 ft 5.5 mi
Nippersink Lake at Fox LakeLake, Nippersink Lake 4.06 ft Low +0.04 ft 9 mi
Nippersink Creek near Spring GroveRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek 4.60 ft High −0.15 ft 9 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River 1.74 ft High +0.04 ft 11 mi
Fox River (Tailwater) at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater) 5.69 ft Normal −0.64 ft 11 mi

Questions and answers

How does Boone Creek near Mc Henry compare with last year?

It is 0.14 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.00 ft.

What is flood stage for Boone Creek near Mc Henry?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 5.86 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Boone Creek near Mc Henry in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.91 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.67 ft and 1.35 ft, based on 13 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 Boone Creek near Mc Henry today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:45 PM CDT, the water level was 1.14 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Boone Creek near Mc Henry rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Boone Creek near Mc Henry normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 13 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:05549000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.32069, -88.31264 (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 1.14 ft 2026-10-19 20:45 Provisional
Flow 15.3 cfs 2026-10-19 20:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Boone Creek near Mc Henry (usgs:05549000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/boone-creek-near-mc-henry

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.