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Lake Fork at Atwood water level

River gauge, Lake Fork, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.00ft Steady over the last 24 hours

5 10 15 Highest onrecord 15.76 ft

History

History
2345ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 182345ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
24ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 1824ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The gauge at Lake Fork at Atwood reads 3.00 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.13 ft above the median of 2.87 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 1.77 ft (+1.23 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.33 ft and 3.00 ft.

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

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.87 ft0.13 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.74 ft – 4.81 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
1.77 ft+1.23 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.33 ft – 3.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.33 ft – 12.72 ft
Highest on record
15.76 ftDecember 29, 2015

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.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
115.76 ftDecember 29, 2015
215.75 ftJune 7, 2008
315.69 ftJune 4, 2008
415.39 ftApril 12, 1994
515.25 ftMay 13, 2002
615.01 ftFebruary 6, 2008
714.67 ftApril 19, 2013
814.40 ftJanuary 14, 2005
914.25 ftMay 19, 1995
1014.24 ftJuly 31, 1992

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 2.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 35° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 68° 39° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 71° 51° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 73° 50° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 74° 53° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 75° 53° – Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 77° 54° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:12 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on Lake Fork

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Lake Fork near CornlandRiver gauge, Lake Fork 8.4 cfs Low ±0 49 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kaskaskia River below FicklinRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.30 ft Normal −0.32 ft 5.8 mi
Kaskaskia River Inflow at FicklinRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River Inflow 7.08 ft Very low ±0 6.0 mi
West Okaw River near LovingtonRiver gauge, West Okaw River 2.26 ft Normal −0.02 ft 11 mi
Embarras River near CamargoRiver gauge, Embarras River 3.27 ft Normal −0.22 ft 15 mi
Kaskaskia River at Cooks MillsRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 1.52 ft Low −0.02 ft 16 mi
Sangamon River at MonticelloRiver gauge, Sangamon River 5.03 ft Normal −0.06 ft 17 mi
Whitley Creek near AllenvilleRiver gauge, Whitley Creek 2.19 ft Normal +0.01 ft 21 mi
Copper Slough at ChampaignRiver gauge, Copper Slough 9.93 ft Normal ±0 22 mi

Questions and answers

How does Lake Fork at Atwood compare with last year?

It is 1.23 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.77 ft.

What is a normal level for Lake Fork at Atwood in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.87 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.74 ft and 4.81 ft, based on 33 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 Lake Fork at Atwood today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT, the water level was 3.00 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Fork at Atwood rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Fork at Atwood normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lake Fork at Atwood?

The highest level on record is 15.76 ft on December 29, 2015.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05590800 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.80631, -88.47622 (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 3.00 ft 2026-10-18 20:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Fork at Atwood (usgs:05590800). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/lake-fork-at-atwood

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.