Nivelmap
EN

Spring Creek at Springfield water level

River gauge, Spring Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.62ft Down 0.59 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
1.4 cfs
0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 16.23 ft

History

History
234ftOct 11Oct 12Oct 14Oct 15Oct 17234ftOct 11Oct 14Oct 17
1234ftSep 18Sep 25Oct 2Oct 10Oct 171234ftSep 18Oct 2Oct 17
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Low water at Spring Creek at Springfield: the gauge reads 1.62 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.42 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.80 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 1.05 ft, a difference of +0.57 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.59 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.25 ft – 2.21 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.42 ft0.80 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.41 ft – 3.39 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year
1.05 ft+0.57 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.25 ft – 2.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.16 ft – 9.86 ft
Highest on record
16.23 ftMay 8, 1996

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
116.23 ftMay 8, 1996
214.79 ftMay 5, 1991
314.44 ftDecember 3, 1982
414.01 ftMay 12, 2002
513.34 ftJune 19, 2011
613.31 ftJune 20, 1990
713.01 ftApril 12, 1994
812.78 ftJune 22, 2019
912.70 ftMarch 30, 1960
1012.66 ftMay 18, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.87 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 58° 39° – Wind 8 mph
18 Sun 65° 40° – Wind 10 mph
19 Mon 70° 46° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 72° 49° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 73° 52° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 76° 54° – Wind 7 mph
23 Fri 77° 56° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:18 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 40%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Sangamon River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Sangamon River 21.13 ft Normal +0.03 ft 6.0 mi
Sugar Creek near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 9.78 ft Low −0.06 ft 6.2 mi
South Fork Sangamon River below RochesterRiver gauge, South Fork Sangamon River 4.35 ft Normal −0.04 ft 8 mi
Sangamon River at RivertonRiver gauge, Sangamon River 2.44 ft Low +0.02 ft 8 mi
South Fork Sangamon River near RochesterRiver gauge, South Fork Sangamon River 5.03 ft Normal ±0 9 mi
Sangamon River at PetersburgRiver gauge, Sangamon River 4.48 ft Normal +0.07 ft 16 mi
Lake Fork near CornlandRiver gauge, Lake Fork 8.4 cfs Normal −1.7 cfs 19 mi
Salt Creek near GreenviewRiver gauge, Salt Creek 1.38 ft Normal −0.01 ft 22 mi

Questions and answers

Is Spring Creek at Springfield higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.57 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.05 ft.

What is a normal level for Spring Creek at Springfield in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.42 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.41 ft and 3.39 ft, based on 31 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 Spring Creek at Springfield today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT, the water level was 1.62 ft. Down 0.59 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Spring Creek at Springfield rising or falling?

Down 0.59 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.28 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Spring Creek at Springfield normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Spring Creek at Springfield?

The highest level on record is 16.23 ft on May 8, 1996.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05577500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.81542, -89.69942 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.62 ft 2026-10-17 11:00 Provisional
Flow 1.4 cfs 2026-10-17 11:00 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Spring Creek at Springfield (usgs:05577500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/spring-creek-at-springfield

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.