North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL

Lake County, Illinois · USGS gauge 05534500 · NWS DRFI2 · North Branch Chicago River flood status · Illinois river levels

Nearby: river levels near Des Plaines

Is North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL flooding right now?

North Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL measured 6.17 ft on 2026-09-22 20:55:00 UTC. That observation was 3.3 ft below its 9.5 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
6.17 ft
as of 53 min ago
Streamflow
63 cfs
data refreshed 1 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 9.5 ft, with major flooding at 13.5 ft. The highest crest on record was 12.75 ft on Thu, Jul 13, 2017.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 10 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action8.5 ft2.3 ft below
Minor flood9.5 ft3.3 ft below
Moderate flood11.5 ft5.3 ft below
Major flood13.5 ft7.3 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
12.75 ft2017-07-13
12.1 ft2018-09-03
11.88 ft2019-09-13
11.55 ft2001-10-13
11.52 ft1987-08-14

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Skokie River near Highland Park, IL1.1 miLake County
Wf of Nb Chicago River at Northbrook IL1.3 miCook County
Wf of Nb Chicago River at Deerfield, IL2.2 miLake County
Skokie River at Lake Forest, IL5.7 miLake County
Des Plaines River near Des Plaines, IL5.7 miCook County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast