Around here
Around Thorn Creek
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Thorn Creek is an 8.0 mile river near Chicago River Canoe & Kayak at Tampier Lake in Illinois. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL (site 05536275). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 5. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1948 to 2026
Thorn Creek typically runs highest in March, at a median 105 cfs, and lowest in September, at 30 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 4,610 cfs, in 2008.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 50 | 33 to 93 |
| February | 58 | 36 to 110 |
| March | 105 | 64 to 206 |
| April | 98 | 60 to 195 |
| May | 72 | 45 to 131 |
| June | 50 | 35 to 108 |
| July | 40 | 29 to 69 |
| August | 33 | 26 to 52 |
| September | 30 | 23 to 49 |
| October | 34 | 26 to 57 |
| November | 42 | 31 to 84 |
| December | 51 | 33 to 95 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 78 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Thorn Creek at Thornton, IL (site 05536275). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Made to print
Put Thorn Creek on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Thorn Creek's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
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