Kishwaukee River near Perryville water level

Name: Kishwaukee River near Perryville 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, Kishwaukee River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.36ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 PM CDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 818 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 Kishwaukee River near Perryville, where the gauge shows 6.36 ft.

The median for mid-October is 5.84 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.52 ft above typical. It is 5.64 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.38 ft, a difference of +0.98 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 6.24 ft – 9.06 ft.

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

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.84 ft0.52 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.29 ft – 7.21 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.38 ft+0.98 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.24 ft – 9.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.28 ft – 13.93 ft
Highest on record: 23.54 ftJuly 18, 1996

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: Beltline Road and Kishwaukee Road threatened south of Rockford. A runway and taxiway may be inundated at Chicago Rockford International Airport.
28.00 ft: Industrial structures threatened along Beltline Road south of Rockford.
27.00 ft: Commercial structures threatened along IL-251 (11th Street) near Rockford and New Milford.
25.50 ft: Blackhawk Road threatened south of Rockford.
25.00 ft: Widespread inundation of the floodplain reaches numerous structures along Will James Road, Schell Drive, Milton Road, Vesta Drive, Ralph Road, and Rydberg Road near Rockford and New Milford.
24.50 ft: IL-251 (11th Street) threatened near Rockford and New Milford.
23.50 ft: Rydberg Road threatened near Rockford and New Milford.
23.00 ft: Residential structures threatened along Rydberg Road near Rockford and New Milford.
22.00 ft: Residential structures threatened along Will James Road near Rockford and New Milford. Structures threatened at Rockford Christian Camp. Water nears a runway at Chicago Rockford International Airport.
21.50 ft: Residences threatened along Schell Drive near Rockford and New Milford. Falcon Road threatened at Chicago Rockford International Airport.
21.00 ft: Mulford Road threatened south of Rockford.
19.00 ft: Campsites threatened at Blackhawk Valley Campground south of Rockford.
6.36 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.54 ft	July 18, 1996
2	20.71 ft	February 21, 1994
3	20.48 ft	March 21, 1979
4	19.76 ft	February 22, 1997
5	19.65 ft	April 22, 1973
6	19.50 ft	January 6, 1946
7	19.05 ft	March 31, 1960
8	19.03 ft	February 20, 1971
9	18.96 ft	June 15, 1999
10	18.78 ft	March 20, 1948

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.31 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 58° 33° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 62° 38° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 65° 36° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 67° 46° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 68° 47° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 71° 54° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 53° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Kishwaukee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kishwaukee River at MarengoRiver gauge, Kishwaukee River	7.83 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	21 mi
Kishwaukee River at BelvidereRiver gauge, Kishwaukee River	1.96 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rock River above Dam at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	2.67 ft	High	−0.06 ft	7 mi
Rock River at Auburn St at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	3.25 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	7 mi
South Branch Kishwaukee River near FairdaleRiver gauge, South Branch Kishwaukee River	2.69 ft	High	−0.10 ft	8 mi
Rock River at Latham ParkRiver gauge, Rock River	5.34 ft	High	−0.05 ft	12 mi
Rock River at ByronRiver gauge, Rock River	7.15 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	14 mi
Rock River at RocktonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.27 ft	High	−0.06 ft	18 mi
Pecatonica River near ShirlandRiver gauge, Pecatonica River	6.20 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	19 mi
South Branch Kishwaukee River at DekalbRiver gauge, South Branch Kishwaukee River	3.65 ft	High	−0.06 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Kishwaukee River near Perryville higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.98 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.38 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kishwaukee River near Perryville?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 5.64 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Kishwaukee River near Perryville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.84 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.29 ft and 7.21 ft, based on 33 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 Kishwaukee River near Perryville today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 PM CDT, the water level was 6.36 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kishwaukee River near Perryville rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kishwaukee River near Perryville normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:05440000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.19444, -88.99889 (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	6.36 ft	2026-10-19 02:30	Provisional
Flow	818 cfs	2026-10-19 02:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kishwaukee River near Perryville (usgs:05440000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kishwaukee-river-near-perryville

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