Fox Lake near Lake Villa water level

Name: Fox Lake near Lake Villa water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Fox Lake, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.07ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 AM CDT (18 min ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

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

What this means

Fox Lake near Lake Villa is below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 4.07 ft.

That puts it 0.05 ft below the median of 4.12 ft for mid-October, based on 7 years of readings. It is 1.93 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.16 ft (−0.09 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.07 ft and 5.16 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.12 ft0.05 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.04 ft – 4.25 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.16 ft−0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.07 ft – 5.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.39 ft – 7.61 ft
Highest on record: 8.90 ftJuly 4, 1938

On the water at Fox Lake near Lake Villa

A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: US-12 and Milwaukee District Railroad tracks are threatened near Fox Lake.
9.00 ft: Widespread inundation of roadways and structures along the Fox Chain of Lakes reaches up to 2 blocks inland threatening numerous businesses and a post office in Fox Lake.
8.50 ft: Grass Lake Road threatened west of Antioch.
8.00 ft: Lake County Sheriffs Office Marine Unit threatened west of Fox Lake.
7.50 ft: Numerous residences threatened along Lake Shore Drive north of Fox Lake. Fox Waterway Agency threatened in Fox Lake. Grand Avenue threatened near Lakeland Shopping Center in Fox Lake.
7.00 ft: Numerous residences threatened along Venn Road, Clark Street, and Witt Road west of Antioch. Residences threatened along Fairfax Road, Lake Lane, and Tremont Road in Fox Lake. Numerous structures threatened at marinas along the lakes. Parking lots are threatened at Lakeland Shopping Center in Fox Lake. Kings Road threatened in Fox Lake, cutting off evacuation route for Kings Island. Lagoon Road and Matts Road are threatened in Fox Lake. Greenwood Avenue is threatened north of Fox Lake.
6.50 ft: A few residences are threatened along Eagle Point Road. Anchorage Drive, Knollwood Road, Oak Lane, and Spring Road are threatened in Fox Lake. Bayview Lane is threatened southwest of Fox Lake. Stanton Point Road is threatened east of Fox Lake. Large portions of Cedar Island are inundated.
6.00 ft: Low-lying residences are threatened along Park Avenue and Marine Drive in Fox Lake. The Island RV Park is threatened off Lakeside Place north of Fox Lake. Lakeside Lane, Wells Street at Oak Street, Eagle Point Road, and roadways at Watts Marina are threatened in Fox Lake. Venn Road, Clark Street, and Witt Road are threatened west of Antioch.
5.50 ft: Park Avenue, Marine Drive, and Atwater Parkway are threatened in Fox Lake. Water overflows low-lying banks along Fox Lake in Fox Lake Hills.
5.00 ft: Fox Waterway Agency considers "no wake" order for the Fox River Chain of Lakes from Pistakee Lake to the Wisconsin border. Water overflows low-lying banks along Fox Lake, Pistakee Lake, and Nippersink Lake in Fox Lake.
4.07 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.90 ft	July 4, 1938
2	8.18 ft	April 6, 1960
3	8.01 ft	July 17, 2017
4	7.88 ft	April 22, 2013
5	7.64 ft	April 2, 1979
6	7.50 ft	October 3, 1986
7	7.50 ft	May 4, 1973
8	7.40 ft	March 23, 1948
9	7.40 ft	March 30, 1962
10	7.15 ft	June 18, 2008

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.92 in.

17 Sat 58° 35° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 60° 40° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 65° 39° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 66° 46° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 67° 47° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 71° 52° 0.02 in Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 70° 52° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 56%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Nippersink Lake at Fox LakeLake, Nippersink Lake	4.05 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	3.1 mi
Channel Lake near AntiochLake, Channel Lake	4.16 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	3.8 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River	4.00 ft	Normal	+0.06 ft	6 mi
Nippersink Creek near Spring GroveRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek	4.72 ft	Very high	−0.13 ft	6 mi
Mill Creek at Old Mill CreekRiver gauge, Mill Creek	6.80 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	8 mi
Elizabeth Lake Drain near Twin LakesRiver gauge, Elizabeth Lake Drain	794.01 ft	High	±0	9 mi
Elizabeth Lake at Twin LakesLake, Elizabeth Lake	794.09 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	10 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River	4.00 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

How does Fox Lake near Lake Villa compare with last year?

It is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.16 ft.

What is a normal level for Fox Lake near Lake Villa in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.12 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.04 ft and 4.25 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of Fox Lake near Lake Villa today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 AM CDT, the water level was 4.07 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Fox Lake near Lake Villa rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Fox Lake near Lake Villa normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Fox Lake near Lake Villa?

The highest level on record is 8.90 ft on July 4, 1938.

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:05547500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.41919, -88.12592 (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	4.07 ft	2026-10-19 05:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fox Lake near Lake Villa (usgs:05547500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/fox-lake-near-lake-villa

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