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West Branch Du Page River near Naperville water level

River gauge, West Branch Du Page River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.45ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
124 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 14.31 ft

History

History
456ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 19456ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
4567ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 194567ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
468ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026468ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
468ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026468ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The West Branch Du Page River near Naperville is running below normal at 4.45 ft.

That puts it 0.46 ft below the median of 4.91 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 4.65 ft (−0.20 ft).

It has dropped 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 4.32 ft and 7.08 ft.

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

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.91 ft0.46 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.05 ft – 5.95 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
4.65 ft−0.20 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.32 ft – 7.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.93 ft – 8.26 ft
Highest on record
14.31 ftJuly 18, 1996

Floating and fishing near West Branch Du Page River near Naperville

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
114.31 ftJuly 18, 1996
212.47 ftApril 19, 2013
311.98 ftSeptember 14, 2008
411.10 ftOctober 11, 1954
510.98 ftFebruary 22, 1997
610.93 ftJuly 25, 2010
710.73 ftOctober 13, 2001
810.68 ftMay 17, 2020
910.56 ftJune 16, 2015
1010.44 ftMay 1, 2017

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.35 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 38° – Wind 10 mph
18 Sun 60° 39° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 65° 38° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 68° 51° – Wind 5 mph
21 Wed 67° 50° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 70° 54° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 71° 54° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the West Branch Du Page River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
West Branch Du Page River near West ChicagoRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River 4.12 ft High +0.10 ft 13 mi
West Branch Du Page River near WarrenvilleRiver gauge, West Branch Du Page River 7.87 ft High −0.11 ft 7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Spring Brook at 87th Street near NapervilleRiver gauge, Spring Brook 2.89 ft Normal −0.06 ft 1.7 mi
Du Page River near PlainfieldRiver gauge, Du Page River 7.08 ft Normal −0.08 ft 2.7 mi
East Branch Du Page River at BolingbrookRiver gauge, East Branch Du Page River 15.00 ft Normal −0.08 ft 3.2 mi
East Branch Dupage River at Short St at LisleRiver gauge, East Branch Dupage River 5.65 ft Normal −0.09 ft 5.7 mi
Des Plaines River near LemontRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 6.16 ft Normal −0.25 ft 6 mi
St. Joseph Creek at Route 34 at LisleRiver gauge, St. Joseph Creek 4.29 ft High −0.09 ft 7 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at LemontRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal 25.32 ft High +0.16 ft 7 mi
Long Run near LemontRiver gauge, Long Run 1.06 ft Normal −0.07 ft 9 mi

Questions and answers

How does the West Branch Du Page River near Naperville compare with last year?

It is 0.20 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.65 ft.

What is a normal level for the West Branch Du Page River near Naperville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.91 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.05 ft and 5.95 ft, based on 33 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 West Branch Du Page River near Naperville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT, the water level was 4.45 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is West Branch Du Page River near Naperville rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of West Branch Du Page River near Naperville normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at West Branch Du Page River near Naperville?

The highest level on record is 14.31 ft on July 18, 1996.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05540130 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.72026, -88.13193 (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 4.45 ft 2026-10-19 22:15 Provisional
Flow 124 cfs 2026-10-19 22:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Branch Du Page River near Naperville (usgs:05540130). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/west-branch-du-page-river-near-naperville

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.