Illinois River near Tahlequah
River flow & level · USGS gauge 07196500 · Oklahoma · drains 950 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 11:30 AM · streamflow
The Illinois River at Tahlequah is running 236 cfs, 85% of the median flow for October 26 (278 cfs, 91 years). Gage height is 4.85 ft, 6.2 ft below flood stage (11.0 ft). Flow is down 4% from 24 hours ago.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumAction (9.0 ft) is 4.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (11.0 ft) is 6.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (14.0 ft) is 9.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (18.0 ft) is 13.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Illinois River near Tahlequah fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 12:50 PM ETFlow 85% of normal, flow steady, light SSE wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 7:43 AM–8:43 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 78°F / low 52°FSunny
- WindLight SSE1–6 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 10
- Flow85% of normalFlow steady (-4% in 24 h)
Official Oklahoma fishing report: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation — Weekly fishing reports
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:36 AM · Sunset 6:30 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:01 AM–2:01 AM
- Moon underfoot12:28 PM–2:28 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:43 AM–8:43 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:07 PM–7:07 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:01 AM–2:01 AM · 12:28 PM–2:28 PM Minor 7:43 AM–8:43 AM · 6:07 PM–7:07 PM Light wind 1–6 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:57 AM–2:57 AM · 1:27 PM–3:27 PM Minor 8:58 AM–9:58 AM · 6:51 PM–7:51 PM Light wind 2–7 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 1:58 AM–3:58 AM · 2:30 PM–4:30 PM Minor 10:12 AM–11:12 AM · 7:45 PM–8:45 PM Light wind 2–9 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 3:02 AM–5:02 AM · 3:34 PM–5:34 PM Minor 11:21 AM–12:21 PM · 8:48 PM–9:48 PM Light wind 2–8 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:07 AM–6:07 AM · 4:38 PM–6:38 PM Minor 12:21 PM–1:21 PM · 9:58 PM–10:58 PM Light wind 2–6 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:09 AM–7:09 AM · 5:38 PM–7:38 PM Minor 1:11 PM–2:11 PM · 11:11 PM–12:11 AM Light wind 2–7 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:06 AM–7:06 AM · 5:33 PM–7:33 PM Minor 12:51 PM–1:51 PM · 11:22 PM–12:22 AM Light wind 1–6 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the river is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 2 |
| Today | 7, rounded | 7/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 35.93, -94.92 (moon times from astronomical equations, Illinois River near Tahlequah local time).
Weather & wind at Illinois River near Tahlequah
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- Today78° / 52°SunnyWind S 5 mphRain 1%
- Tuesday77° / 55°Partly SunnyWind S 0 to 5 mphRain 6%
- Wednesday81° / 58°SunnyWind S 0 to 10 mphRain 3%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 35.926, -94.922 (grid TSA), issued Oct 26, 10:50 AM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge TALO2- Action stage9 ft+4.2 ft from now
- Minor stage11 ft+6.2 ft from now
- Moderate stage14 ft+9.2 ft from now
- Major stage18 ft+13.2 ft from now
- Record crest30.69 ft2015
October 26 in history
91 years of flow records- Today236 cfs
- Same date last year602 cfs2025
- Median278 cfs
- Normal range169 cfs – 466 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 193611,100 cfs2020
- Lowest since 193616.0 cfs1957
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 246 | -2% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 251 | -0% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 252 | -3% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 260 | -3% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 267 | -3% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 276 | -6% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 295 | -12% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 334 | -16% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 399 | -21% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 507 | -9% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Fort Gibson Lake18 mi · Lake555.28 ft+1.28 ft vs full pool
- Tenkiller Lake24 mi · Lake624.69 ft−7.31 ft vs full pool
- Lake Hudson26 mi · Lake620.41 ft+1.41 ft vs full pool
- Grand Lake O' the Cherokees38 mi · Lake741.98 ft−0.02 ft vs full pool
- Arkansas River at Fort. Smith46 mi · River2,580 cfs25% of normal
- Lake Eufaula49 mi · Lake581.62 ft−3.38 ft vs full pool
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 07196500 — Illinois River near Tahlequah, OK
- Location
- 35.9255, -94.9217 · Oklahoma
- Drainage area
- 950 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1936–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 11:30 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 12:50 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge TALO2 — National Water Prediction Service
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.