About this river
Des Plaines River is a 16.8 mile river near Big River Fly Fishing in Illinois. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Des Plaines River near Lemont, IL (site 05533600). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 5. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
2011 to 2026
Des Plaines River typically runs highest in April, at a median 1,250 cfs, and lowest in September, at 329 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 9,750 cfs, in 2020.
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) | Relative level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 529 | 390 to 1,040 | |
| February | 544 | 373 to 1,130 | |
| March | 1,170 | 819 to 1,640 | |
| April | 1,250 | 744 to 2,210 | |
| May | 1,100 | 536 to 1,940 | |
| June | 720 | 395 to 1,350 | |
| July | 622 | 356 to 1,440 | |
| August | 424 | 299 to 758 | |
| September | 329 | 233 to 564 | |
| October | 396 | 235 to 831 | |
| November | 409 | 281 to 739 | |
| December | 434 | 314 to 825 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 16 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Des Plaines River near Lemont, IL (site 05533600). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
6 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Des Plaines River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Great Lakes QuarryGreat Lakes QuarryPublic
- Saganashkee Slough boat launchPublic
- Columbia woods canoe landingPublic
- Plank Road Meadow boat launchPublic
- Maywood Grove Canoe LandingPublic
- Irving Park Road Canoe LandingPublic
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Des Plaines River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
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