Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi water level

Name: Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi 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, Little Wabash River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.28ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.60 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:56 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi reads 3.28 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.19 ft below the median of 3.47 ft for mid-October, based on 30 years of readings. It is 23.72 ft below the flood stage of 27.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.59 ft (−0.31 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.60 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.97 ft and 3.60 ft.

Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.47 ft0.19 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.44 ft – 13.43 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.59 ft−0.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.97 ft – 3.60 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.97 ft – 28.22 ft
Highest on record: 38.44 ftMay 12, 1961
Forecast peak: 3.60 ftWednesday, October 21 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 27.00 ft, still 23.72 ft away.

What happens at each level

35.50 ft: Businesses just downstream of IL Route 14 and Route 1 in Carmi flood.
32.00 ft: Flood waters flow up McHenry slough and areas near Route 1 and 14 in Carmi begin to flood.
27.00 ft: The inundation of county roads begins.
3.28 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: 29 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.44 ft	May 12, 1961
2	38.34 ft	May 3, 2011
3	36.23 ft	January 1, 1937
4	36.16 ft	May 18, 2002
5	36.15 ft	November 21, 1993
6	36.01 ft	May 8, 2017
7	35.74 ft	January 4, 2016
8	35.54 ft	April 4, 2008
9	35.46 ft	April 11, 2025
10	35.37 ft	January 14, 2005

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 67° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 70° 46° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 75° 46° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 76° 53° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 76° 54° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 79° 51° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 76° 55° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Wabash River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Wabash River near EffinghamRiver gauge, Little Wabash River	10.43 ft	Normal	±0	74 mi
Little Wabash River below Clay CityRiver gauge, Little Wabash River	5.45 ft	Normal	+1.61 ft	38 mi
Little Wabash River near Golden GateRiver gauge, Little Wabash River	4.84 ft	Normal	−0.16 ft	20 mi
Little Wabash River at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River	2.46 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	2.2 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wabash River at New HarmonyRiver gauge, Wabash River	2.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	12 mi
Big Creek near WadesvilleRiver gauge, Big Creek	0.2 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	21 mi
Ohio River at Uniontown DamRiver gauge, Ohio River	12.98 ft	Low	+0.05 ft	22 mi
Bonpas Creek at BrownsRiver gauge, Bonpas Creek	1.62 ft	Normal	−0.37 ft	23 mi
Ohio River at Old ShawneetownRiver gauge, Ohio River	17.28 ft	Normal	+0.20 ft	28 mi
Skillet Fork at Wayne CityRiver gauge, Skillet Fork	4.14 ft	Very low	+0.06 ft	30 mi
Wabash River at Mount CarmelRiver gauge, Wabash River	4.01 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	30 mi
Middle Fork Saline River near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Middle Fork Saline River	8.89 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi compare with last year?

It is 0.31 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.59 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi?

The official flood stage is 27.00 ft. The level is currently 23.72 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.47 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.44 ft and 13.43 ft, based on 30 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 Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT, the water level was 3.28 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.30 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 30 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:03381495 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.09222, -88.15611 (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	3.28 ft	2026-10-19 17:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Wabash River at Main St at Carmi (usgs:03381495). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/little-wabash-river-at-main-st-at-carmi

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