About this river
Des Plaines River is a 2.9 mile river near Pier 11 Marina in Illinois. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Des Plaines River near Lemont, IL (site 05533600). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 5. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
2011 to 2026
Des Plaines River typically runs highest in April, at a median 1,250 cfs, and lowest in September, at 329 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 9,750 cfs, in 2020.
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) | Relative level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 529 | 390 to 1,040 | |
| February | 544 | 373 to 1,130 | |
| March | 1,170 | 819 to 1,640 | |
| April | 1,250 | 744 to 2,210 | |
| May | 1,100 | 536 to 1,940 | |
| June | 720 | 395 to 1,350 | |
| July | 622 | 356 to 1,440 | |
| August | 424 | 299 to 758 | |
| September | 329 | 233 to 564 | |
| October | 396 | 235 to 831 | |
| November | 409 | 281 to 739 | |
| December | 434 | 314 to 825 |
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 16 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Des Plaines River near Lemont, IL (site 05533600). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
One mapped launch sits in the mapped area of Des Plaines River. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Des Plaines River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
