Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry water level

Name: Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry 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, Fox River (Tailwater), Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.04ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

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 Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry, where the gauge shows 2.04 ft.

The median for mid-October is 1.14 ft, based on 24 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.90 ft above typical. It is 1.96 ft below the flood stage of 4.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.94 ft, a difference of +1.10 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.86 ft – 3.80 ft.

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

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.14 ft0.90 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.53 ft – 3.60 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.94 ft+1.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.86 ft – 3.80 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.53 ft – 7.38 ft
Highest on record: 9.00 ftJuly 5, 1938

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 4.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: McHenry Waste Water Treatment Plant property is threatened. Miller Road is threatened west of the river in McHenry.
11.00 ft: Multiple structures along the river are threatened in downtown McHenry. River Road is threatened at IL-120 (Elm Street) in McHenry.
10.50 ft: IL-176 is threatened near Holiday Hills.
9.00 ft: Country Club Drive, Emerald Drive, and River Road near Chapel Hill Road are threatened in McHenry.
8.50 ft: Residences threatened along Country Club Drive and Emerald Drive in McHenry. Roadways threatened at Miller Riverfront Park in McHenry.
8.00 ft: Residences along River Road are threatened near Mary Lane in McHenry. Backwater causes Boone Creek to threaten parking lots in downtown McHenry. Numerous marinas are threatened in McHenry.
7.00 ft: Low-lying sections of Miller Riverfront Park inundated in McHenry.
6.00 ft: Backwater causes Boone Creek to inundate sections of the McHenry river walk.
5.50 ft: Water reaches bankfull along Country Club Drive and Emerald Drive in McHenry.
5.00 ft: Roadways and structures may be threatened in Frisch's Riverside subdivision along Lagoon and River Shore Drives.
4.50 ft: Roadways and structures may be threatened in the Holiday Hills subdivison along Holiday Drive.
3.50 ft: Boathouses threatened along the river downstream of the dam.
2.04 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.00 ft	July 5, 1938
2	7.65 ft	July 22, 2017
3	7.64 ft	April 23, 2013
4	7.20 ft	October 2, 1986
5	7.04 ft	April 2, 1979
6	7.00 ft	April 5, 1960
7	6.95 ft	August 27, 2007
8	6.90 ft	May 6, 1973
9	6.90 ft	April 24, 1993
10	6.85 ft	June 19, 2008

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.29 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 40° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 64° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 66° 47° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 67° 47° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 70° 52° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 65° 55° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 68° 55° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Fox River (Tailwater)

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fox River (Tailwater) at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater)	6.28 ft	Normal	−0.29 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River	3.75 ft	Low	−0.19 ft	0.1 mi
Boone Creek near Mc HenryRiver gauge, Boone Creek	1.15 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	3.2 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River	3.84 ft	Very low	−0.10 ft	4.7 mi
Nippersink Lake at Fox LakeLake, Nippersink Lake	4.03 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	7 mi
Nippersink Creek above Wonder LakeRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek	5.16 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	8 mi
Nippersink Creek near Spring GroveRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek	4.75 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	9 mi
Fox Lake near Lake VillaLake, Fox Lake	4.09 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	10 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River	1.70 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.10 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.94 ft.

What is flood stage for the Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry?

The official flood stage is 4.00 ft. The level is currently 1.96 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.14 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.53 ft and 3.60 ft, based on 24 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 Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.04 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.32 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:05549501 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.30919, -88.25147 (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	2.04 ft	2026-10-18 17:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenry (usgs:05549501). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/fox-river-tailwater-near-mchenry

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