Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake water level

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

Lake, Nippersink Lake, Illinois, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

4.02ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT (48 min ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

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

What this means

Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake is far below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 4.02 ft.

That puts it 0.08 ft below the median of 4.10 ft for mid-October, based on 7 years of readings. It is 1.98 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.06 ft (−0.04 ft).

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. In the last month it has stayed between 4.02 ft and 5.21 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 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.10 ft0.08 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.04 ft – 4.17 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.06 ft−0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.02 ft – 5.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.40 ft – 7.65 ft
Highest on record: 8.12 ftApril 5, 1960

On the water at Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake

A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: US-12 and Milwaukee District Railroad tracks are threatened near Fox Lake.
9.00 ft: Widespread inundation of roadways and structures along the Fox River Chain of Lakes reaches up to 2 blocks inland threatening numerous businesses and a post office in Fox Lake.
8.50 ft: Grass Lake Road threatened west of Antioch.
8.00 ft: Lake County Sheriffs Office Marine Unit threatened west of Fox Lake.
7.50 ft: Numerous residences threatened along Lake Shore Drive north of Fox Lake. Fox Waterway Agency threatened in Fox Lake. Grand Avenue threatened near Lakeland Shopping Center in Fox Lake.
7.00 ft: Numerous residences threatened along Venn Road, Clark Street, and Witt Road west of Antioch. Residences threatened along Fairfax Road, Lake Lane, and Tremont Road in Fox Lake. Numerous structures threatened at marinas along the lakes. Parking lots are threatened at Lakeland Shopping Center in Fox Lake. Kings Road threatened in Fox Lake, cutting off evacuation route for Kings Island. Lagoon Road are threatened in Fox Lake. Greenwood Avenue is threatened north of Fox Lake.
6.50 ft: A few residences are threatened along Eagle Point Road. Anchorage Drive, Knollwood Road, Oak Lane, and Spring Road are threatened in Fox Lake. Bayview Lane is threatened southwest of Fox Lake. Stanton Point Road is threatened east of Fox Lake. Large portions of Cedar Island are inundated.
6.00 ft: Low-lying residences threatened along Park Avenue and Marine Drive in Fox Lake. The Island RV Park is threatened off Lakeside Place north of Fox Lake. Lakeside Lane, Wells Street at Oak Street, Eagle Point Road, and roadways at Watts Marina are threatened in Fox Lake.
5.50 ft: Park Avenue, Marine Drive, and Atwater Parkway are threatened in Fox Lake. Water overflows low-lying banks along Fox lake in Fox Lake Hills.
5.00 ft: Fox Waterway Agency considers "no wake" order for the Fox River Chain of Lakes from Pistakee Lake to the Wisconsin border. Water overflows low-lying banks along Fox Lake, Pistakee Lake, and Nippersink Lake in Fox Lake.
4.02 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.12 ft	April 5, 1960
2	7.97 ft	July 17, 2017
3	7.91 ft	April 22, 2013
4	7.58 ft	April 2, 1979
5	7.50 ft	May 4, 1973
6	7.50 ft	October 3, 1986
7	7.17 ft	June 18, 2008
8	6.97 ft	March 11, 1974
9	6.70 ft	September 17, 2019
10	6.60 ft	September 26, 1972

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.41 in.

18 Sun 59° 39° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 64° 38° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 66° 47° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 67° 47° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 70° 51° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 64° 55° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 67° 56° – Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

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

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fox Lake near Lake VillaLake, Fox Lake	4.09 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	3.1 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River	3.85 ft	Very low	−0.15 ft	3.3 mi
Nippersink Creek near Spring GroveRiver gauge, Nippersink Creek	4.74 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	4.3 mi
Channel Lake near AntiochLake, Channel Lake	4.27 ft	High	+0.03 ft	5.1 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River	3.75 ft	Low	−0.14 ft	7 mi
Fox River (Tailwater) near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River (Tailwater)	2.02 ft	Normal	±0	7 mi
Elizabeth Lake Drain near Twin LakesRiver gauge, Elizabeth Lake Drain	794.01 ft	High	±0	8 mi
Elizabeth Lake at Twin LakesLake, Elizabeth Lake	794.09 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

How does Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake compare with last year?

It is 0.04 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.06 ft.

What is a normal level for Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.10 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.04 ft and 4.17 ft, based on 7 years of records.

What is the water level of Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT, the water level was 4.02 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake?

The highest level on record is 8.12 ft on April 5, 1960.

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:05548000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.40311, -88.18262 (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	4.02 ft	2026-10-18 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Nippersink Lake at Fox Lake (usgs:05548000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/nippersink-lake-at-fox-lake

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