Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago water level

Name: Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Lake Michigan, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

-0.14ft Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:57 AM CDT (24 min ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

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

What this means

Water is short at Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago: the latest reading of −0.14 ft is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 0.70 ft, based on 6 years of readings, so the lake level is 0.84 ft below typical. It is 4.14 ft below the flood stage of 4.00 ft. A year ago it stood at −0.14 ft as well.

It is on the way up, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is −0.44 ft – 1.65 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 6 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.70 ft0.84 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: −0.33 ft – 1.81 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (6 years of records)
Same day last year: −0.14 ft0.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: −0.44 ft – 1.65 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −1.51 ft – 1.43 ft
Highest on record: 5.98 ftApril 29, 2020

Boating and fishing at Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago

At low levels, launching can mean a long walk or a closed ramp, and shallow points stick out further than charts suggest.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

What happens at each level

9.00 ft: Lakefront Trail threatened near Marovitz Golf Course.
8.50 ft: Structures threatened at 41st Street Beach. Foster Beach parking lot is threatened. Foster Avenue underpass is threatened at Foster Beach. Lake Shore Drive is threatened between Belmont Avenue and Irving Park Road, near Division Street, and at Oak Street Beach.
8.00 ft: Structures are threatened at Montrose Beach. Lakefront Trail is threatened at Montrose Harbor.
7.50 ft: Lane Park playground is threatened in the Edgewater neighborhood. Lakefront Trail is threatened at Oak Street Beach. Lake Shore Drive onramps are threatened at Oak Street Beach. Structures are threatened at 57th Street Beach.
7.00 ft: Montrose Dog Beach parking lot is threatened. Lake Shore Drive is threatened at 57th Drive.
6.50 ft: Sheridan Road is threatened near Lake Shore Drive. Lakefront Trail is threatened at the Ardmore Avenue trailhead. Low-lying areas of Jane Addams Park are threatened. Paths and roadways are threatened at Navy Pier. Multiple trails are threatened at 57th Street Beach. Lake Shore Drive is threatened at Jackson Park Harbor.
6.00 ft: Structures are threatened at North Avenue Beach and Queens Landing in Grant Park.
5.50 ft: Roadways are threatened at Belmont Harbor. Lakefront Trail is threatened at North Avenue Beach and near Morgan Point. Low-lying areas of Jackson Park along the lagoon are threatened.
5.00 ft: Lakefront Trail is threatened at Chicago Yacht Club. The Chicago Yacht Club parking lot is threatened. Low-lying trails near Lincoln Park Zoo are threatened. Park Drive is threatened near Navy Pier. Roadways and parking lots are threatened at Illinois Beach State Park north of Waukegan.
4.50 ft: Lakefront Trail is threatened at Ohio Street Beach and at Grant Park. Breakwater paths at DuSable Harbor are threatened.
2.50 ft: Lowest sections of the waterfront at Grant Park are inundated.
−0.14 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	5.98 ft	April 29, 2020
2	5.48 ft	January 11, 2020
3	5.07 ft	June 3, 2020
4	4.95 ft	August 11, 2020
5	4.77 ft	July 20, 2019
6	4.64 ft	March 6, 2020
7	4.56 ft	October 31, 2019
8	4.53 ft	December 1, 2019
9	4.37 ft	June 1, 2019
10	4.36 ft	September 28, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 63° 42° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 61° 47° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 69° 54° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 70° 57° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 70° 58° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 72° 59° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 67° 55° 0.01 in Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 58%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chicago River at Chicago Lock at ChicagoRiver gauge, Chicago River	−2.12 ft	Normal	±0	0.0 mi
Chicago River at Columbus Drive at ChicagoRiver gauge, Chicago River	−2.18 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	0.7 mi
Nb Chicago River at Grand Avenue at ChicagoRiver gauge, Nb Chicago River	−2.06 ft	Normal	−0.16 ft	1.8 mi
Chicago S & South Canal at Western Ave at ChicagoRiver gauge, Chicago S & South Canal	−2.10 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	5.4 mi
Nb Chicago River at N Pulaski Road at ChicagoRiver gauge, Nb Chicago River	11.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	9 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at StickneyRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal	−2.15 ft	High	−0.11 ft	9 mi
Des Plaines River at River ForestRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	4.81 ft	Normal	−0.21 ft	12 mi
Des Plaines River at LyonsRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	10.99 ft	Normal	−0.37 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago higher than last year?

It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was −0.14 ft.

What is a normal level for Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.70 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.33 ft and 1.81 ft, based on 6 years of records.

What is the water level of Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:57 AM CDT, the water level was −0.14 ft. Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago rising or falling?

Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.44 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 6 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago?

The highest level on record is 5.98 ft on April 29, 2020.

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:04087440 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.88928, -87.60794 (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	−0.14 ft	2026-10-19 09:57	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Michigan at Chicago Lock at Chicago (usgs:04087440). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/lake-michigan-at-chicago-lock-at-chicago

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