Fox River entrance to the Chain O’Lakes lake system to Pistakee Lake / Fox River outflow. Current water and weather information is shown when available.
Latest source update Sep 14, 11:25 PM CDT
Water bodyLevel trend24-hour changeWater temp
Now
Next 24 hours
Chain O’Lakes
Interconnected lakes and channels ending at Pistakee Lake.
Unavailable
Unavailable
Water temp71.4°FRegional station
Local Weather
Current weather and forecast
Now64°FSlight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind15 mph
Next 24 hours64–77°F78% rain
Decision support
On the Water
NO-GO
NO-GO
Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
Next transition: UNAVAILABLE · Tue 10 PM
River
Stable
Wind
15 mph · gusts 23 mph
Thunder
Indicated
Water temperature
About 71°F
Runoff / clarity
Low · Stable
Hourly outlook
Today
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
Tomorrow
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder · Wind Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period. Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
Wednesday
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
Thursday
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO
Thunder Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
??Why?Observed stage and trend do not provide enough margin to resolve this future hour without usable hydrologic guidance.
How this recommendation was formed
Each hour is evaluated independently. A NO-GO condition takes precedence; otherwise an unresolved required input produces Unavailable, cautions produce GO · Caution, and an hour with none of those conditions is GO.
NO-GO
At least one blocking safety condition is present.
A relevant blocking NWS alert, forecast thunderstorm, or known official closure or restriction.
River conditions reach a location-specific high-water boundary or a rapid rise makes the available forecast guidance unsafe.
The conservative water-temperature lower bound is below 60°F.
GO · Caution
No blocking condition is present, but at least one caution applies.
Sustained wind from 10 mph or gusts from 15 mph up to their NO-GO boundaries.
The representative water temperature is below 65°F.
High-water caution, relevant caution-level alerts, fog or reduced visibility, or elevated runoff.
Unavailable
No known NO-GO condition is present, but the model cannot responsibly resolve the hour.
Required alert, river, water-temperature, wind, or gust evidence is missing, expired, or too uncertain for that forecast horizon.
A known blocking condition still remains NO-GO even when another required input is unavailable.
GO
Required evidence resolves the hour and no blocking condition or caution is present.
GO describes the modeled weather-and-water hour; it is not a guarantee and does not replace checking official restrictions at launch time.
How forecast hours are handled
The outlook contains up to 72 separate hourly decisions, so the result can change from one hour to the next.
Hydrology requirements become more conservative farther into the outlook and use official forecasts or National Water Model guidance only where the configured river reference is compatible.
Temperature proxy distance remains part of the uncertainty range. The pooled Fox River cooling allowance is added only while the observed 24-hour temperature trend is cooling.
Temperature uncertainty crossing 65°F alone does not create caution; the representative temperature controls caution, while the conservative lower bound protects the 60°F NO-GO threshold.
Forecast
Mon, Sep 14 (Today)64–64°FSlight chance showers and thunderstorms
20% rain · wind to 15 mph
Tue, Sep 15 (Tomorrow)64–77°FSlight chance showers and thunderstorms becoming chance showers and thunderstorms
78% rain · wind to 16 mph
Wed, Sep 1657–70°FMostly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy / slight chance showers and thunderstorms
50% rain · wind to 9 mph
Thu, Sep 1764–75°FChance showers and thunderstorms becoming showers and thunderstorms likely
63% rain · wind to 6 mph
Water Safety
Current concerns to review before launching.
WeatherThunderstorms and wind
Thunderstorms are indicated for the current period. Wind 15 mph · gusts 23 mph.
Local Water
About Chain O’Lakes
The local water body represented by these measurements and forecasts.
Chain O’Lakes is a monitored location on the Fox River.
Fox River entrance to the Chain O’Lakes lake system to Pistakee Lake / Fox River outflow.
This page attaches current Water and Weather products by the canonical location ID. Missing products remain unavailable rather than being estimated or borrowed from another location.
For detailed river access, landmarks, portages, and navigation information, see the printable maps from Fabulous Fox Water Trail.
Explore Current River DataView current monitoring inputs, 6/24/48/72-hour changes, recent traces, sources, and observation freshness across the Fox River network.
Current level information and weather are displayed only when a current canonical artifact exists for this location. Missing data are not converted to zero or inferred from a neighboring location. Current facts remain separate from the explicitly labeled On the Water recommendation, and no seasonal or historical interpretation is presented.
USGS observations are provisional and may be revised.
Conditions can vary within this location, especially near dams, tributaries, bridges, and constrictions.
A representative local stage reading is not available for this location.
Water temperature is observed at the regional Fox River near McHenry station, about 7.3 straight-line miles away; local water temperature can differ.
Definitions: Flow is discharge in cubic feet per second. Stage is gage height at a specific station. The 24-hour direction compares the current reading with the prior reading: positive is rising or warming, negative is falling or cooling, and zero is steady. Detailed numeric readings and recent traces are available under Current River Data below.
