Conditions · Fox River

St. Charles Pool Conditions

Current river trend, water temperature, weather forecast, and safety information for the Fox River between South Elgin and St. Charles.

Latest source update Sep 14, 11:35 PM CDT

St. Charles Pool

Between South Elgin and St. Charles dams.

Observed flow Recent seven-day river flow trace
Falling
Water temp 71.4°F Regional station

Local Weather

Current weather and forecast

Now 68°F Cloudy
Wind 14 mph S
Next 24 hours 65–79°F 81% rain

Decision support

On the Water

NO-GO

NO-GO

Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.

Next transition: GO · Thu 1 PM

River
Stable
Wind
15 mph · gusts 23 mph
Thunder
Not indicated this hour
Water temperature
About 71°F
Runoff / clarity
Low · Stable
Hourly outlook

Today

NO-GO Wind
Why?Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.

Tomorrow

NO-GO Wind
Why?Forecast wind exceeds the Dive Otter recreational-paddlecraft threshold.
NO-GO Wind
Why?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.
NO-GO Thunder
Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.
NO-GO Thunder
Why?Thunderstorms are forecast during the evaluation period.

Wednesday

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.
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.
GO
GO
GO
GO
GO
GO
GO
GO
GO
??
Why?Wind speed is unavailable or hard-expired. Wind gust is unavailable or hard-expired.
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.
  • Sustained wind above 15 mph, gusts above 20 mph, or visibility below 1 mile.
  • 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) 65–65°F Mostly cloudy 10% rain · wind to 15 mph
Tue, Sep 15 (Tomorrow) 66–79°F Mostly cloudy becoming chance showers and thunderstorms 81% rain · wind to 15 mph
Wed, Sep 16 62–72°F Slight chance showers and thunderstorms becoming chance showers and thunderstorms 60% rain · wind to 10 mph
Thu, Sep 17 67–78°F Slight chance showers and thunderstorms becoming showers and thunderstorms likely 62% rain · wind to 5 mph

Water Safety

Current concerns to review before launching.

Weather Wind

Wind 15 mph · gusts 23 mph.

Local Water

About St. Charles Pool

The local water body represented by these measurements and forecasts.

The St. Charles Pool is the reach of the Fox River between the South Elgin Dam upstream and the St. Charles Dam downstream.

This is a broad, generally slow-moving section of the Fox with shallow flats, deeper channels, islands, shoreline structure, tributary mouths, and localized areas of stronger current. Water level, flow, runoff, and weather can materially change navigation and river conditions.

Conditions shown here describe this specific pool. Monitoring stations elsewhere on the Fox River and on nearby tributaries are used where they provide useful evidence about water entering or moving through the pool.

For detailed river access, landmarks, portages, and navigation information, see the printable maps from Fabulous Fox Water Trail.

Explore Current River Data View current monitoring inputs, 6/24/48/72-hour changes, recent traces, sources, and observation freshness across the Fox River network.
View Fox River Observations

Sources and limitations

About these public conditions

River flow and gage height come from locally archived USGS observations at South Elgin. Weather uses current observations and an ordinary National Weather Service forecast. Upstream water-temperature measurements provide regional context where a direct pool measurement is unavailable. 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 a pool, especially near dams, tributaries, bridges, and constrictions.
  • Gage height is not pool-wide depth, navigable depth, clearance, or current velocity.
  • Water temperature is observed at the regional Fox River near McHenry station; 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.

Weather source: National Weather Service office LOT.