How high is the Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL right now?

The Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL is currently flowing at 847 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 538.89 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as very low for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 4th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 2.11 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 541.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 3,470 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 1,950 to 9,140 cfs.

Where is the Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL stream gauge located?

The Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Will County, IL on the Des Plaines River. USGS site number 05537980 (coordinates 41.5365, -88.0837).

Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL

USGS Site No: 05537980 • Des Plaines River • Will County, IL

Des Plaines River at Route 53 at Joliet, IL on the Des Plaines River is currently at 847 cfs (Very Low — 4th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 538.89 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Des Plaines River

Des Plaines River Near Lemont, IL

847

CFS Discharge

538.89

Gage Height (ft)

Very Low

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 11 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.

Percentile	Label	CFS Threshold	Today's Flow
10th	Very Low threshold	1,950	Today: 847 cfs
25th	Low threshold	2,650
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	3,470
75th	High threshold	6,490
95th	Very High threshold	9,140

30-Day Hydrograph

Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	2,390	538.96
May 27, 2026	3,150	539.07
May 26, 2026	2,950	539.07
May 25, 2026	3,390	539.10
May 24, 2026	3,350	539.11
May 23, 2026	2,400	539.05
May 22, 2026	2,410	538.95
May 21, 2026	2,590	538.99
May 20, 2026	2,640	538.96
May 19, 2026	2,410	539.06
May 18, 2026	3,000	538.93
May 17, 2026	2,200	538.97
May 16, 2026	2,000	538.95
May 15, 2026	—	539.01
Apr 20, 2026	9,540	539.28
Apr 19, 2026	10,200	539.33
Apr 18, 2026	11,000	539.32
Apr 17, 2026	11,900	539.39
Apr 16, 2026	8,150	539.14
Apr 15, 2026	7,820	539.10
Apr 14, 2026	7,100	539.13
Apr 13, 2026	5,500	539.07
Apr 12, 2026	5,840	539.08
Apr 11, 2026	6,150	539.09
Apr 10, 2026	5,580	538.99
Apr 9, 2026	7,100	539.09
Apr 8, 2026	6,660	539.02
Apr 7, 2026	7,060	539.12
Apr 6, 2026	8,680	539.18
Apr 5, 2026	10,200	539.31

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05537980
State: IL
County: Will County
Coordinates: 41.5365, -88.0837
Drainage Area: 1,502 mi²
Datum (ft): -0.3
HUC Code: 07120004

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 540.5 ft
Flood Stage: 541.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 543.0 ft
Major Flood: 544.0 ft

Currently 2.11 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 13,600 cfs

Apr 4, 2026
Min discharge: 1,050 cfs

Nov 19, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Hickory Creek at Joliet, IL
1.6 mi · 44 cfs

Normal
Chicago Sanitary And Ship Canal at Romeoville, IL
7.3 mi · 0 cfs

Unknown
Long Run Near Lemont, IL
8.5 mi · 3 cfs

Low
Des Plaines River Near Lemont, IL
9.8 mi · 452 cfs

Normal
Chicago Sanitary And Ship Canal near Lemont, IL
12.4 mi · 1,300 cfs

Very Low