Lake Michigan at Chicago (Chicago Lock), IL
River level and flood forecast · Cook County
Normal0.5 ftas of Mon 3:39 PM
The river is 3.5 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 | 2.5 ft |
| Record crest (April 29, 2020) | 5.98 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 9 ftLakefront Trail threatened near Marovitz Golf Course.
- 8.5 ftStructures threatened at 41st Street Beach. Foster Beach parking lot is threatened. Foster Avenue underpass is threatened at Foster Beach. Lake Shore Drive is threatened between Belmont Avenue and Irving Park Road, near Division Street, and at Oak Street Beach.
- 8 ftStructures are threatened at Montrose Beach. Lakefront Trail is threatened at Montrose Harbor.
- 7.5 ftLane Park playground is threatened in the Edgewater neighborhood. Lakefront Trail is threatened at Oak Street Beach. Lake Shore Drive onramps are threatened at Oak Street Beach. Structures are threatened at 57th Street Beach.
- 7 ftMontrose Dog Beach parking lot is threatened. Lake Shore Drive is threatened at 57th Drive.
- 6.5 ftSheridan Road is threatened near Lake Shore Drive. Lakefront Trail is threatened at the Ardmore Avenue trailhead. Low-lying areas of Jane Addams Park are threatened. Paths and roadways are threatened at Navy Pier. Multiple trails are threatened at 57th Street Beach. Lake Shore Drive is threatened at Jackson Park Harbor.
- 6 ftStructures are threatened at North Avenue Beach and Queens Landing in Grant Park.
- 5.5 ftRoadways are threatened at Belmont Harbor. Lakefront Trail is threatened at North Avenue Beach and near Morgan Point. Low-lying areas of Jackson Park along the lagoon are threatened.
- 5 ftLakefront Trail is threatened at Chicago Yacht Club. The Chicago Yacht Club parking lot is threatened. Low-lying trails near Lincoln Park Zoo are threatened. Park Drive is threatened near Navy Pier. Roadways and parking lots are threatened at Illinois Beach State Park north of Waukegan.
- 4.5 ftLakefront Trail is threatened at Ohio Street Beach and at Grant Park. Breakwater paths at DuSable Harbor are threatened.
- 2.5 ftLowest sections of the waterfront at Grant Park are inundated.
Highest crests on record
- 5.98 ft — April 29, 2020
- 5.48 ft — January 11, 2020
- 5.07 ft — June 3, 2020
- 4.95 ft — August 11, 2020
- 4.77 ft — July 20, 2019
Recent crests: 4.95 ft (August 11, 2020) · 4.14 ft (July 10, 2020) · 5.07 ft (June 3, 2020) · 5.98 ft (April 29, 2020) · 4.64 ft (March 6, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Chicago River at Chicago (Columbus Dr), IL
- North Branch Chicago River at Chicago (Grand Ave), IL
- Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Chicago (Western Ave), IL
- North Branch Chicago River at Chicago (Pulaski Rd), IL
- Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Stickney, IL
- Des Plaines River at River Forest, IL
- Des Plaines River at Lyons, IL
- Des Plaines River at Riverside, IL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (LCRI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.