Fox River at McHenry (Stratton Lock and Dam) tailwater, IL
River level and flood forecast · McHenry County
Normal2.0 ftas of Mon 2:15 PM
The river is 2.0 ft below flood stage (4 ft).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 7 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 6 ft |
| Flood stage | 4 ft |
| Action stage | 3 ft |
| Record crest (July 5, 1938) | 9 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 12 ftMcHenry Waste Water Treatment Plant property is threatened. Miller Road is threatened west of the river in McHenry.
- 11 ftMultiple structures along the river are threatened in downtown McHenry. River Road is threatened at IL-120 (Elm Street) in McHenry.
- 10.5 ftIL-176 is threatened near Holiday Hills.
- 9 ftCountry Club Drive, Emerald Drive, and River Road near Chapel Hill Road are threatened in McHenry.
- 8.5 ftResidences threatened along Country Club Drive and Emerald Drive in McHenry. Roadways threatened at Miller Riverfront Park in McHenry.
- 8 ftResidences along River Road are threatened near Mary Lane in McHenry. Backwater causes Boone Creek to threaten parking lots in downtown McHenry. Numerous marinas are threatened in McHenry.
- 7 ftLow-lying sections of Miller Riverfront Park inundated in McHenry.
- 6 ftBackwater causes Boone Creek to inundate sections of the McHenry river walk.
- 5.5 ftWater reaches bankfull along Country Club Drive and Emerald Drive in McHenry.
- 5 ftRoadways and structures may be threatened in Frisch's Riverside subdivision along Lagoon and River Shore Drives.
- 4.5 ftRoadways and structures may be threatened in the Holiday Hills subdivison along Holiday Drive.
- 3.5 ftBoathouses threatened along the river downstream of the dam.
- 3 ftFox Waterway Agency considers "no wake" order for the Fox River from Algonquin Dam to Stratton Dam.
Highest crests on record
- 9 ft — July 5, 1938
- 7.65 ft — July 22, 2017
- 7.64 ft — April 23, 2013
- 7.2 ft — October 2, 1986
- 7.04 ft — April 2, 1979
Recent crests: 5.38 ft (April 8, 2024) · 4.1 ft (March 6, 2023) · 6.2 ft (May 23, 2020) · 5.49 ft (May 4, 2020) · 5.93 ft (October 8, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (MHYI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.