Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest water level

Name: Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest 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, Midlothian Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.61ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 2.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest, where the gauge shows 1.61 ft.

The median for mid-October is 1.57 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.04 ft above typical. It is 4.39 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.57 ft – 3.73 ft.

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

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.57 ft0.04 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.40 ft – 2.05 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.57 ft – 3.73 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.43 ft – 4.40 ft
Highest on record: 9.50 ftApril 5, 1947

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 6.00 ft.

What happens at each level

9.50 ft: Numerous residences are inundated in Oak Forest and Midlothian.
8.50 ft: Numerous residences are threatened in Robbins. 159th Street (US-6) and Cicero Avenue (IL-50) are threatened in Oak Forest.
7.50 ft: A few residences are threatened upstream of the gauge.
7.00 ft: Forest Avenue is threatened in Oak Forest.
6.50 ft: Waverly Avenue, Oak Avenue, 155th Street, and 160th Street are threatned in Oak Forest. Trails are threatened in Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve.
5.50 ft: Low-lying areas of Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve are inundated.
1.61 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.50 ft	April 5, 1947
2	9.00 ft	July 13, 1957
3	8.49 ft	October 10, 1954
4	7.67 ft	April 22, 1973
5	6.70 ft	May 12, 1966
6	6.38 ft	June 10, 1953
7	6.36 ft	September 24, 1961
8	6.32 ft	September 26, 1951
9	6.15 ft	July 18, 1996
10	6.15 ft	May 17, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.19 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 41° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 69° 40° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 69° 53° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 71° 56° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 73° 57° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 73° 59° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 53%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Natalie Creek at MidlothianRiver gauge, Natalie Creek	5.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	0.6 mi
Tinley Creek near Palos ParkRiver gauge, Tinley Creek	2.65 ft	High	−0.08 ft	2.9 mi
Calumet Union Drainage Canal near MarkhamRiver gauge, Calumet Union Drainage Canal	2.33 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	3.5 mi
Butterfield Creek at FlossmoorRiver gauge, Butterfield Creek	4.07 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	7 mi
Little Calumet River at South HollandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.53 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Thorn Creek at ThorntonRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.86 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Stony Creek (West) near WorthRiver gauge, Stony Creek (West)	25.56 ft	Normal	−0.31 ft	7 mi
Thorn Creek at GlenwoodRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.59 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 4.39 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.57 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.40 ft and 2.05 ft, based on 31 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 Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 1.61 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest?

The highest level on record is 9.50 ft on April 5, 1947.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05536340 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.61411, -87.72946 (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	1.61 ft	2026-10-18 21:30	Provisional
Flow	2.4 cfs	2026-10-18 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Midlothian Creek at Oak Forest (usgs:05536340). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/midlothian-creek-at-oak-forest

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