About this river
Illinois River is a 13.5 mile river near Kayak Morris Campground in Illinois. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Illinois River at Morris, IL (site 05542500). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 9. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
2016 to 2026
Illinois River typically runs highest in May, at a median 13,700 cfs, and lowest in September, at 3,615 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 95,500 cfs, in 2020.
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) | Relative level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6,460 | 4,590 to 13,200 | |
| February | 7,580 | 3,545 to 13,200 | |
| March | 12,800 | 9,440 to 17,300 | |
| April | 11,800 | 8,130 to 18,650 | |
| May | 13,700 | 7,280 to 22,400 | |
| June | 8,030 | 5,940 to 13,900 | |
| July | 8,230 | 5,260 to 12,200 | |
| August | 5,070 | 3,730 to 6,630 | |
| September | 3,615 | 2,720 to 6,165 | |
| October | 5,350 | 3,080 to 9,010 | |
| November | 5,465 | 3,815 to 8,660 | |
| December | 6,430 | 3,950 to 9,140 |
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 10 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Illinois River at Morris, IL (site 05542500). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
5 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Illinois River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Spring Brook MarinaIllinois RiverPublic
- LST MemorialIllinois RiverPublic
- LincoIn Lake boat rampPublic
- William G. Stratton State ParkIllinois RiverPublic
- Heidecke LakeHeidecke LakePublic
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Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Illinois River'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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