Spoon River near St. Joseph water level

Name: Spoon River near St. Joseph 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, Spoon River, Illinois, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

4.19ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 11:45 PM CDT (50 min ago)

Flow: 3.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

High water at Spoon River near St. Joseph: the latest reading is 4.19 ft, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.61 ft above the median of 3.58 ft for mid-October, based on 13 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 3.59 ft (+0.60 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.09 ft – 4.55 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.58 ft0.61 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.08 ft – 4.56 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (13 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.59 ft+0.60 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.09 ft – 4.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.51 ft – 14.97 ft
Highest on record: 18.82 ftDecember 29, 2015

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.82 ft	December 29, 2015
2	17.15 ft	August 17, 2026
3	17.11 ft	December 27, 2015
4	17.06 ft	February 21, 2018
5	16.70 ft	October 25, 2021
6	16.35 ft	June 4, 2020
7	16.19 ft	May 1, 2017
8	16.11 ft	December 31, 2018
9	15.90 ft	June 27, 2021
10	15.80 ft	August 20, 2026

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.49 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 55° 38° – Wind 9 mph

18 Sun 62° 36° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 68° 37° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 70° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 71° 49° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 72° 53° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 74° 52° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 46%

Map

Other gauges on the Spoon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spoon River at London MillsRiver gauge, Spoon River	5.65 ft	Very high	+0.54 ft	124 mi
Spoon River at SevilleRiver gauge, Spoon River	9.02 ft	Very high	+0.96 ft	124 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Fork near St. JosephRiver gauge, Salt Fork	3.20 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	1.1 mi
Saline Branch above 1700E near UrbanaRiver gauge, Saline Branch	0.51 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Boneyard Creek at Lincoln Ave at UrbanaRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek	7.48 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Boneyard Creek at UrbanaRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek	10.25 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	11 mi
Boneyard Creek below 6th Street at ChampaignRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek	11.39 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Middle Fork Vermilion River above OakwoodRiver gauge, Middle Fork Vermilion River	0.86 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Copper Slough at ChampaignRiver gauge, Copper Slough	9.92 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	15 mi
Sangamon River at FisherRiver gauge, Sangamon River	4.69 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Spoon River near St. Joseph compare with last year?

It is 0.60 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.59 ft.

What is a normal level for the Spoon River near St. Joseph in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.58 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.08 ft and 4.56 ft, based on 13 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 Spoon River near St. Joseph today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 11:45 PM CDT, the water level was 4.19 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Spoon River near St. Joseph rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Spoon River near St. Joseph normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Spoon River near St. Joseph?

The highest level on record is 18.82 ft on December 29, 2015.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03336890 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.16419, -88.02750 (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	4.19 ft	2026-10-18 04:45	Provisional
Flow	3.6 cfs	2026-10-18 04:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Spoon River near St. Joseph (usgs:03336890). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/spoon-river-near-st-joseph

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