How high is the Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL right now?

The Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL is currently flowing at 84 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 1.74 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

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

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 27th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 5.26 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 7.0 feet.

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

The long-term median discharge for this date is 137 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 50 to 948 cfs.

Where is the Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL stream gauge located?

The Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Lake County, IL on the Des Plaines River. USGS site number 05528000 (coordinates 42.3439, -87.9411).

Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL

USGS Site No: 05528000 • Des Plaines River • Lake County, IL

Des Plaines River Near Gurnee, IL on the Des Plaines River is currently at 84 cfs (Normal — 27th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 1.74 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Des Plaines River

Des Plaines River at Russell, IL

Downstream on Des Plaines River ↓

Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, IL

CFS Discharge

1.74

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	50
25th	Low threshold	80
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	137	Today: 84 cfs
75th	High threshold	342
95th	Very High threshold	948

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	90	1.80
May 27, 2026	101	1.90
May 26, 2026	112	2.00
May 25, 2026	111	2.00
May 24, 2026	117	2.05
May 23, 2026	83	1.73
May 22, 2026	87	1.77
May 21, 2026	92	1.82
May 20, 2026	99	1.89
May 19, 2026	104	1.93
May 18, 2026	103	1.92
May 17, 2026	105	1.94
May 16, 2026	111	1.99
May 15, 2026	105	1.94
Apr 20, 2026	2,850	10.52
Apr 19, 2026	2,980	10.70
Apr 18, 2026	2,720	10.33
Apr 17, 2026	2,100	9.22
Apr 16, 2026	2,050	9.13
Apr 15, 2026	1,460	7.74
Apr 14, 2026	904	6.15
Apr 13, 2026	985	6.41
Apr 12, 2026	1,110	6.79
Apr 11, 2026	1,280	7.28
Apr 10, 2026	1,460	7.76
Apr 9, 2026	1,610	8.12
Apr 8, 2026	1,700	8.36
Apr 7, 2026	1,680	8.30
Apr 6, 2026	1,550	8.00
Apr 5, 2026	1,390	7.58

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05528000
State: IL
County: Lake County
Coordinates: 42.3439, -87.9411
Drainage Area: 232 mi²
Datum (ft): 650.1
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: 11.0 ft

Currently 5.26 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 2,980 cfs

Apr 19, 2026
Min discharge: 23 cfs

Oct 17, 2025
Days at flood stage: 13

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

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

Low
Skokie River at Lake Forest, IL
9.1 mi · 1 cfs

Very Low
Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, IL
10.0 mi · 121 cfs

Low
Des Plaines River at Russell, IL
10.1 mi · 35 cfs

Normal
Buffalo Creek Near Wheeling, IL
13.3 mi · 8 cfs

Normal