How high is the North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL right now?

The North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL is currently flowing at 3 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 4.21 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 34th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 5.29 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 9.5 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 6 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 1 to 192 cfs.

Where is the North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL stream gauge located?

The North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Lake County, IL on the North Branch Chicago River. USGS site number 05534500 (coordinates 42.1526, -87.8184).

North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL

USGS Site No: 05534500 • North Branch Chicago River • Lake County, IL

North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL on the North Branch Chicago River is currently at 3 cfs (Normal — 34th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 4.21 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

Downstream on North Branch Chicago River ↓

North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL

CFS Discharge

4.21

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	1
25th	Low threshold	2
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	6	Today: 3 cfs
75th	High threshold	20
95th	Very High threshold	192

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	4	4.29
May 27, 2026	5	4.33
May 26, 2026	7	4.45
May 25, 2026	11	4.67
May 24, 2026	26	4.97
May 23, 2026	3	4.18
May 22, 2026	3	4.19
May 21, 2026	4	4.23
May 20, 2026	4	4.31
May 19, 2026	6	4.40
May 18, 2026	10	4.57
May 17, 2026	5	4.37
May 16, 2026	6	4.42
May 15, 2026	6	4.41
Apr 20, 2026	108	6.82
Apr 19, 2026	176	7.76
Apr 18, 2026	325	9.48
Apr 17, 2026	157	7.48
Apr 16, 2026	235	8.45
Apr 15, 2026	273	8.89
Apr 14, 2026	43	5.41
Apr 13, 2026	27	5.11
Apr 12, 2026	23	5.03
Apr 11, 2026	30	5.18
Apr 10, 2026	41	5.44
Apr 9, 2026	22	5.01
Apr 8, 2026	29	5.14
Apr 7, 2026	40	5.41
Apr 6, 2026	60	5.88
Apr 5, 2026	91	6.51

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05534500
State: IL
County: Lake County
Coordinates: 42.1526, -87.8184
Drainage Area: 20 mi²
Datum (ft): 638.7
HUC Code: 07120003

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 8.5 ft
Flood Stage: 9.5 ft
Moderate Flood: 11.5 ft
Major Flood: 13.5 ft

Currently 5.29 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 325 cfs

Apr 18, 2026
Min discharge: 1 cfs

Oct 4, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Skokie River Near Highland Park, IL
1.2 mi · 1 cfs

Very Low
Wf Of Nb Chicago River at Northbrook IL
1.3 mi · 5 cfs

Normal
Skokie River at Lake Forest, IL
5.7 mi · 1 cfs

Very Low
Des Plaines River Near Des Plaines, IL
5.7 mi · 286 cfs

Normal
Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, IL
6.1 mi · 121 cfs

Low