Des Plaines River at Lyons water level

Name: Des Plaines River at Lyons 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, Des Plaines River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

12.10ft Down 0.54 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 04:00 AM CDT (52 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Des Plaines River at Lyons is at 12.10 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 11.32 ft, based on 12 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.78 ft above typical. It is 5.90 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 9.83 ft, a difference of +2.27 ft.

It has dropped 0.54 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 11.36 ft and 16.32 ft.

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

Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 11.32 ft0.78 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 9.80 ft – 17.76 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (12 years of records)
Same day last year: 9.83 ft+2.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 11.36 ft – 16.32 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 9.47 ft – 17.81 ft
Highest on record: 22.87 ftApril 18, 2013

Floating and fishing near Des Plaines River at Lyons

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 5.90 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Widespread inundation of industrial property and structures north of the river in McCook. Numerous residences threatened near the river in Lyons.
23.50 ft: Water reaches the top of the west bank levees in Lyons and McCook.
22.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the east bank levee in Lyons, Stickney, and Forest View.
21.00 ft: Without flood protection from levees, widespread inundation of industrial property and structures would occur north of the river in McCook.
20.00 ft: Structures are threatened along River Road near the river in Hodgkins.
19.00 ft: Industrial parking area near the river and I-55 is threatened.
14.00 ft: Without flood protection from levees, water would begin to bypass the main river channel through Chicago Portage toward the Chicago River Basin and areas once covered by Mud Lake.
12.10 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.87 ft	April 18, 2013
2	22.71 ft	May 18, 2020
3	20.75 ft	October 15, 2017
4	20.09 ft	May 1, 2019
5	19.81 ft	July 22, 2017
6	19.66 ft	June 16, 2015
7	19.58 ft	February 21, 2018
8	18.53 ft	May 1, 2017

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.38 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 54° 38° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 60° 39° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 67° 50° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 69° 53° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 70° 54° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 70° 56° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 73° 58° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 39%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Plaines River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Plaines River at RussellRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	4.70 ft	High	+0.20 ft	48 mi
Des Plaines River near GurneeRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	3.04 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	38 mi
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	7.68 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	28 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.47 ft	High	−0.12 ft	20 mi
Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.44 ft	16 mi
Des Plaines River at River ForestRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	5.62 ft	Normal	−1.36 ft	5.8 mi
Des Plaines River at RiversideRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	3.20 ft	Normal	−0.70 ft	1.2 mi
Des Plaines River near LemontRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	7.18 ft	Normal	+0.38 ft	15 mi
Des Plaines River at Route 53 at JolietRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	538.97 ft	Normal	±0	23 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at StickneyRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal	−2.18 ft	High	+0.42 ft	3.1 mi
Salt Creek at Western SpringsRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.61 ft	Normal	−0.66 ft	4.8 mi
Addison Creek at BellwoodRiver gauge, Addison Creek	1.86 ft	Very high	−0.75 ft	6.0 mi
Flag Creek near Willow SpringsRiver gauge, Flag Creek	3.44 ft	High	−0.14 ft	6 mi
Chicago S & South Canal at Western Ave at ChicagoRiver gauge, Chicago S & South Canal	−2.18 ft	Normal	+0.21 ft	7 mi
Salt Creek at 22nd Street at Oak BrookRiver gauge, Salt Creek	48.84 ft	Normal	−0.59 ft	7 mi
Stony Creek (West) near WorthRiver gauge, Stony Creek (West)	25.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.63 ft	8 mi
Salt Creek at ElmhurstRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.83 ft	Normal	−0.63 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Des Plaines River at Lyons higher than last year?

Yes, it is 2.27 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9.83 ft.

What is flood stage for the Des Plaines River at Lyons?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 5.90 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Des Plaines River at Lyons in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 11.32 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9.80 ft and 17.76 ft, based on 12 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 Des Plaines River at Lyons today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 04:00 AM CDT, the water level was 12.10 ft. Down 0.54 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Plaines River at Lyons rising or falling?

Down 0.54 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Des Plaines River at Lyons normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 12 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:05532600 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.80608, -87.81122 (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	12.10 ft	2026-10-17 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Plaines River at Lyons (usgs:05532600). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/des-plaines-river-at-lyons

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