How high is the Des Plaines River at Russell, IL right now?

The Des Plaines River at Russell, IL is currently flowing at 35 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 3.33 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

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

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 44th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Des Plaines River at Russell, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 3.67 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 7.0 feet.

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

The long-term median discharge for this date is 42 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 5 to 460 cfs.

Where is the Des Plaines River at Russell, IL stream gauge located?

The Des Plaines River at Russell, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Lake County, IL on the Des Plaines River. USGS site number 05527800 (coordinates 42.4894, -87.9259).

Des Plaines River at Russell, IL

USGS Site No: 05527800 • Des Plaines River • Lake County, IL

Des Plaines River at Russell, IL on the Des Plaines River is currently at 35 cfs (Normal — 44th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 3.33 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

Downstream on Des Plaines River ↓

Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL

CFS Discharge

3.33

Gage Height (ft)

Normal

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	5
25th	Low threshold	10
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	42	Today: 35 cfs
75th	High threshold	137
95th	Very High threshold	460

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	40	3.43
May 27, 2026	45	3.51
May 26, 2026	50	3.60
May 25, 2026	55	3.67
May 24, 2026	35	3.33
May 23, 2026	24	3.10
May 22, 2026	21	3.02
May 21, 2026	20	3.02
May 20, 2026	22	3.05
May 15, 2026	10	2.67
Apr 20, 2026	1,850	9.35
Apr 19, 2026	2,010	9.59
Apr 18, 2026	1,940	9.49
Apr 17, 2026	1,410	8.67
Apr 16, 2026	1,120	8.16
Apr 15, 2026	730	7.29
Apr 14, 2026	394	6.22
Apr 13, 2026	461	6.44
Apr 12, 2026	558	6.76
Apr 11, 2026	679	7.07
Apr 10, 2026	841	7.45
Apr 9, 2026	1,020	7.84
Apr 8, 2026	1,230	8.26
Apr 7, 2026	1,430	8.64
Apr 6, 2026	1,520	8.80
Apr 5, 2026	1,330	8.42
Apr 4, 2026	921	7.45
Apr 3, 2026	529	6.20
Apr 2, 2026	194	4.29
Apr 1, 2026	84	3.37

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05527800
State: IL
County: Lake County
Coordinates: 42.4894, -87.9259
Drainage Area: 123 mi²
Datum (ft): 661.9
HUC Code: 07120004

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 6.5 ft
Flood Stage: 7.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 9.0 ft
Major Flood: 10.0 ft

Currently 3.67 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 2,010 cfs

Apr 19, 2026
Min discharge: 0 cfs

Sep 12, 2025
Days at flood stage: 14

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Mill Creek at Old Mill Creek, IL
5.6 mi · 11 cfs

Low
Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL
10.1 mi · 84 cfs

Normal
Nippersink Creek Near Spring Grove, IL
16.7 mi · 101 cfs

Normal
Fox River at Johnsburg, IL
17.7 mi · 427 cfs

Very High
Skokie River at Lake Forest, IL
18.2 mi · 1 cfs

Very Low