Mackinaw River near Congerville Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Mackinaw River near Congerville in IL, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location IL, United States
- Watershed mackinaw
- Primary gauge 05567500 (USGS)
About Mackinaw River near Congerville
The Mackinaw River near Congerville is in the Mackinaw watershed in Illinois.
The watershed
This gauge watches the Mackinaw River above Congerville, with 767 sq mi (1,987 km2) upstream of the station. That drainage area is the part that feeds this site, so the reading reflects what is happening across that catchment, not the watershed name by itself.
For people living along the river, the useful point is that this is a large upstream area for a river gauge with 50 years on record. Water levels here can respond to a broad mix of local runoff and upstream flow conditions, so day-to-day changes matter more than a single snapshot.
What the numbers say
The highest level in the record is 18.19 ft (5.54 m), reached in September 2008. The lowest is 0.23 ft (0.07 m), reached in September 2000. That spread is large enough to matter for docks, intakes, and fish access.
Seasonally, the river is usually highest in May at 3.09 ft (0.94 m) and lowest in September at 0.75 ft (0.23 m). The typical annual swing is 28.1 in (71.4 cm). For a river user, that means spring water is commonly much higher than late-summer water, so a fixed dock, pump setup, or shallow crossing has to work across that range.
The regional pattern here fits prairie-midwest hydrology: winter-spring rain and melt floods dominate, slow flat-land drainage can keep water up longer, and summer recessions are common. The record values also show that this site can be far outside its typical seasonal range.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page should be read against the median for this calendar day across the station record, not as raw elevation. That is the better reference because the same height can mean something different in May than in September.
For this USGS station, with 50 years on record, the calendar-day median gives a quick sense of whether the river is running above or below its usual level for this time of year. For cottagers, anglers, and anyone checking access or water supply, that comparison is more useful than the number alone.
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
