Kaskaskia River near Red Bud Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Kaskaskia River near Red Bud in IL, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location IL, United States
- Watershed lower kaskaskia
- Primary gauge 05595240 (USGS)
About Kaskaskia River near Red Bud
Kaskaskia River near Red Bud is a gauged river in the Lower Kaskaskia watershed in Illinois.
The watershed
This reach sits in a drainage area of 5505 sq mi (14258 km2) above the station. In prairie-midwest hydrology, the main pattern is winter-spring rain and melt floods, then a summer recession. For people along the river, that means the water can stay elevated for a while after a wet spell, and low-water conditions are usually a late-season concern rather than an early one.
The record here spans more than 32 years, so the seasonal pattern is long enough to be useful for planning docks, pumps, and access points. The river’s highest typical month is May at 70.77 ft (21.57 m), while the lowest typical month is October at 68.72 ft (20.95 m). That typical annual swing is 24.6 in (62.6 cm), which is modest on paper but still enough to matter for shallow launches and intakes.
What the numbers say
The highest level in the record is 94.61 ft (28.84 m), set in January 2016. The lowest is 67.46 ft (20.56 m), set in April 1996. Those two numbers frame the range this river can cover at this site: the difference between an ordinary season and an extreme one is not small.
For shore users, the seasonal numbers are the ones to watch day to day. May is usually the high point, and October the low point, so the river often gives more water in spring and less by fall. That is the pattern to keep in mind when setting a dock height or checking a shallow crossing.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page compares today’s stage with the median for this calendar day in the station’s record. That is better than raw elevation because a level only tells you where the water stands; the comparison tells you whether today is normal for this date, above it, or below it.
This station is run by the U.S. Geological Survey. With more than 32 years on record, the comparison has enough history behind it to give the number context, not just a height.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
What the numbers on the measuring stick actually tell you.
Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
How every number is computed - About the platform
