Kaskaskia River near Red Bud water level

Name: Kaskaskia River near Red Bud 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, Kaskaskia River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

68.60ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The gauge at Kaskaskia River near Red Bud reads 68.60 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.13 ft below the median of 68.73 ft for mid-October, based on 32 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 68.73 ft (−0.13 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 68.49 ft and 70.87 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 68.73 ft0.13 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 68.46 ft – 70.54 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 68.73 ft−0.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 68.49 ft – 70.87 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 67.73 ft – 77.42 ft

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.52 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 38° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 69° 41° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 75° 49° – Wind 4 mph

21 Wed 77° 51° – Wind 3 mph

22 Thu 80° 55° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 80° 55° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 82° 56° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Kaskaskia River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kaskaskia River below FicklinRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	2.28 ft	Normal	−0.31 ft	138 mi
Kaskaskia River at Cooks MillsRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	1.53 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	125 mi
Kaskaskia River at ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	6.42 ft	Normal	±0	103 mi
Kaskaskia River near CowdenRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	2.27 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	91 mi
Kaskaskia River at VandaliaRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	2.96 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	69 mi
Kaskaskia River at CarlyleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	5.66 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	41 mi
Kaskaskia River near Venedy StationRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	1.34 ft	Low	−0.15 ft	23 mi
Kaskaskia River at New AthensRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	68.62 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Richland Creek near HeckerRiver gauge, Richland Creek	27.17 ft	High	−0.17 ft	10 mi
Silver Creek near FreeburgRiver gauge, Silver Creek	0.93 ft	Normal	−0.50 ft	15 mi
Mississippi River at ChesterRiver gauge, Mississippi River	12.36 ft	Below flood stage	−1.09 ft	20 mi
Martigney Creek near ArnoldRiver gauge, Martigney Creek	0.6 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	30 mi
Little Crooked Creek near New MindenRiver gauge, Little Crooked Creek	4.99 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	31 mi
South Fork Saline Creek near PerryvilleRiver gauge, South Fork Saline Creek	6.2 cfs	Very low	−0.3 cfs	31 mi
Mattese Creek near MatteseRiver gauge, Mattese Creek	1.2 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	32 mi
Gravois Creek near MehlvilleRiver gauge, Gravois Creek	2.7 cfs	Normal	−1.5 cfs	32 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Kaskaskia River near Red Bud compare with last year?

It is 0.13 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 68.73 ft.

What is a normal level for the Kaskaskia River near Red Bud in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 68.73 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 68.46 ft and 70.54 ft, based on 32 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 Kaskaskia River near Red Bud today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 68.60 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kaskaskia River near Red Bud rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kaskaskia River near Red Bud normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:05595240 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.18861, -89.88889 (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	68.60 ft	2026-10-18 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kaskaskia River near Red Bud (usgs:05595240). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kaskaskia-river-near-red-bud

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