I hate being one of those mopes wandering/sitting along river shore lines. I need to be out in the middle of the river fishing toward shore.

It's running at 3340 cfs right now, which means it won't be down below 3000 before end of day Sunday.

MAYBE something is moving up the creeks, but it's a big maybe.

Who knows what normal is on the DuPage gauge? Sam?

I'm with ya, Ken. Alot of people like it because it puts the fish in predictible locations. I get bored easily with the "dabbling" method. What is it three years now with way above average flow? I'm ready to get in the water!

Seems like the river hardly ever goes down to normal anymore. Last year it went down to 750 briefly twice, otherwise 1200 seems to have become the new normal.

Dabbling is dull. That's why I've hit the creeks so much in the last few years. Now you can't get me out of them. They are back to normal right now, but we have to wait for the fish to get up there. Soon, very soon.

In the USGS section I put up links to Real Time Data for the East and West DuPages. Couldn't find one for the main stem, but that may have more to do with my lack of coffee this morning. Adding up the two doesn't really work. Close, but not quite.

The DuPages look normal to me, but I don't fish them enough to know. Driving over all 3 of them this morning on the way to work, they look pretty good.

If river current is like the relationship between electrical current and resistance(a commonly used comparison) then where the two rivers meet would be the average of each branch's current (like a parallel circuit). Since the two branches are reading pretty close to the same, then you would take the average and that would give you the main river current. It's like two fans blowing air in one direction, where the two are crossing paths, the flow is equalized to be an average of the two, but outside of that area they have their own velocities.


I think the duper is wadeable nearly year-round. I grew up wading that river from the split up to the riverwalk in downtown Naperville. There area always areas that can be walked with some success in everything but flood-stage water levels. Personally I like the stretches between Ring rd./Washington St. bridge and Knoch Knolls, and the north end of the riverwalk up to Ogden ave. Lots of rock, gravel, concrete walls/pilings, outflows, and laydowns.

Special Ed wrote:If river current is like the relationship between electrical current and resistance(a commonly used comparison) then where the two rivers meet would be the average of each branch's current (like a parallel circuit). Since the two branches are reading pretty close to the same, then you would take the average and that would give you the main river current. It's like two fans blowing air in one direction, where the two are crossing paths, the flow is equalized to be an average of the two, but outside of that area they have their own velocities.

Is that how I sound when I start explaining things and why did that make absolute sense.

I didn't even get a headache.

I know river width has a lot to do with it too. 100 cfs on Mill Creek is cooking and unfishable pretty much.

I'm hoping to just get out. We'll see how my plans get screwed up.

According to my notes from last year... The max CFS I waded the Dupage at was 480CFS out near Shorewood/Joliet. That was cooking pretty good if I remember correctly. The gauge I'm reading from shows the Dupage at 430CFS. To me, I'd go fish it, but stick to fishing areas that I know. The Mazon I waded at a max of 380CFS last year. It's currently at 289, so that's very fishable right now. I might get out on the Mazon tomorrow. We'll see how I feel tomorrow if anyone comes by to party tonight lol. As far as the Fox goes, looks like it's come down quite a bit over the past 7 hours Ken. The reading I'm getting from South Elgin is 13.41, and if you compare it to that little chart it looks like 2840 CFS. Obviously not comfortable wading conditions, but hopefully we don't get any more rain and it's fishable come next weekend.

3250 on the Montgomery gauge.

That's at a level I can control.

I don't know why I'm looking, I don't even know if I can get out. Sunday daughter, drive to and from Champaign. At least I can do some sight seeing.

Ken, while your down in champaign you should stop at the middle fork of the vermillion.

I thought of that. But college kids being what they are, my daughter can't get her ass going early enough and we're not even hitting the road till noon.

Screws any fishing prospects.

Trust me, she's heard all about it.

I hit Big Rock creek for a few hours on Tuesday afternoon. Cold, clear and fast. Not a smallie in sight. Enjoyed the wade and a good cigar though - just good to get out.