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Illinois River at Morris water level

River gauge, Illinois River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.75ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
7,470 cfs
10 20 Highest onrecord 24.91 ft Minor floodstage 16.00 ft

History

51015ftOct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Minor flood stage51015ftOct 11Oct 17Oct 24Minor flood stage
51015ftSep 18Sep 27Oct 6Oct 15Oct 24Minor flood stage51015ftSep 18Oct 6Oct 24Minor flood stage
1020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage1020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 PM. Issued Friday, October 16 at 08:33 PM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Illinois River at Morris reads 5.75 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.06 ft above the median of 5.70 ft for mid-October, based on 10 years of readings. It is 10.25 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.75 ft (+1.00 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.00 ft and 9.38 ft.

Compared with 10 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5.70 ft0.06 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.68 ft – 11.51 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (10 years of records)
Same day last year
4.75 ft+1.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.00 ft – 9.38 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.37 ft – 14.56 ft
Highest on record
24.91 ftApril 19, 2013
Forecast peak
5.70 ftSaturday, October 17 at 07:00 AM

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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 16.00 ft, still 10.25 ft away.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft
High water levels cause Dresden Lock to shut down.
22.00 ft
Multiple residences threatened between Morris and Marseilles. Numerous roadways threatened along the river between Morris and Marseilles.
21.00 ft
Morris Public Works property is threatened. West River Road is threatened.
20.00 ft
Low-lying residences threatened in Morris.
19.50 ft
Old Stage Road threatened near the Illinois and Michigan Canal between Morris and Seneca.
18.50 ft
A few residences threatened along Cemetery Road in Morris.
18.00 ft
A few roads threatened near Morris. Low-lying portions of Illini Park inundated near Marseilles.
16.00 ft
Pine Bluff Road threatened west of IL-47 south of Morris. Dwight Road threatened south of Morris. High water levels begin to impact shipping interests along the river.
12.50 ft
Low-lying portions of Stratton Park inundated near IL-47 in Morris.
5.75 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 20 %.

RankLevelDate
124.91 ftApril 19, 2013
224.84 ftSeptember 16, 2008
324.80 ftMay 19, 2020
423.91 ftJuly 14, 1957
523.90 ftFebruary 21, 1916
623.71 ftFebruary 22, 2018
723.13 ftNovember 29, 1990
823.10 ftDecember 4, 1982
923.03 ftMay 2, 2019
1022.64 ftFebruary 22, 1997

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.96 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 54° 37° – Wind 10 mph
18 Sun 61° 37° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 68° 49° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 70° 50° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 64° 57° 0.02 in Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 73° 52° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 41%

Map

Other gauges on the Illinois River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Illinois River at SenecaRiver gauge, Illinois River 20.61 ft Normal −0.21 ft 10 mi
Illinois River at MarseillesRiver gauge, Illinois River 12.48 ft High +0.17 ft 15 mi
Illinois River at HenryRiver gauge, Illinois River 15.22 ft Normal +0.01 ft 51 mi
Illinois River at Kingston MinesRiver gauge, Illinois River 6.34 ft Normal +0.91 ft 90 mi
Illinois River at Copperas CreekRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.76 ft Normal +0.69 ft 97 mi
Illinois River at MeredosiaRiver gauge, Illinois River 4.86 ft Normal −0.18 ft 154 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Mazon River near Coal CityRiver gauge, Mazon River 1.56 ft Normal +0.03 ft 5.9 mi
Aux Sable Creek near MorrisRiver gauge, Aux Sable Creek 4.17 ft High −0.18 ft 6.0 mi
Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near LorenzoRiver gauge, Kankakee River 504.57 ft Low −0.05 ft 9 mi
Kankakee River near WilmingtonRiver gauge, Kankakee River 1.54 ft Normal −0.03 ft 13 mi
Du Page River at ShorewoodRiver gauge, Du Page River 11.17 ft Very high +0.22 ft 17 mi
Fox River at DaytonRiver gauge, Fox River 7.67 ft High +0.17 ft 19 mi
Fox River Tailwater at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River Tailwater 7.58 ft Normal −0.22 ft 20 mi
Fox River Bypass at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River Bypass 9.29 ft Normal −0.18 ft 20 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Illinois River at Morris compare with last year?

It is 1.00 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.75 ft.

What is flood stage for the Illinois River at Morris?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 10.25 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Illinois River at Morris in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.70 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.68 ft and 11.51 ft, based on 10 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 Illinois River at Morris today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 08:45 AM CDT, the water level was 5.75 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Illinois River at Morris rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.27 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Illinois River at Morris normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 10 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:05542500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.35458, -88.42850 (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 5.75 ft 2026-10-17 13:45 Provisional
Flow 7,470 cfs 2026-10-17 13:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Illinois River at Morris (usgs:05542500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/illinois-river-at-morris

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