DES PLAINES RIVER AT ROUTE 53 AT JOLIET, IL

DES PLAINES RIVER IL USGS

DES PLAINES RIVER AT ROUTE 53 AT JOLIET, IL (05537980) is a real-time river monitoring station on the DES PLAINES RIVER in IL, operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. Riverbot tracks its river conditions, including water level, and streamflow and keeps recent, datum-labelled water-level history for anglers. 43 fish species are associated with this station in public fish records.

USGS site number: 05537980
Operated by: U.S. Geological Survey
State: IL
Coordinates: 41.5365, -88.0837

Live conditions & history

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Fish recorded near this station

Community observations nearby

Des Plaines River At Route 53 At Joliet, Il has 43 fish species documented via iNaturalist research-grade observations within 10 km. These community-sourced records indicate fish presence in the vicinity.

Species include: Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris), Black Bullhead (Ameiurus melas), Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus natalis), Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum), and 38 others.

Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris
Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas
Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis
Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens
Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum
Goldfish Carassius auratus non-native
White Sucker Catostomus commersonii
Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella non-native
European Carp Cyprinus carpio non-native
European Carp × Goldfish Cyprinus carpio × Carassius auratus
Threadfin Shad Dorosoma petenense
Grass Pickerel Esox americanus vermiculatus
Northern Pike Esox lucius
Muskellunge Esox masquinongy
Orangethroat Darter Etheostoma spectabile
Banded Killifish Fundulus diaphanus
Blackstripe Topminnow Fundulus notatus
Western Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis
Northern Hog Sucker Hypentelium nigricans
Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus
Longnose Gar Lepisosteus osseus
Common Sunfishes Lepomis
Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus
Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus
Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus
Northern Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus macrochirus
Redear Sunfish Lepomis microlophus
Northern Sunfish Lepomis peltastes
Striped Shiner Luxilus chrysocephalus
Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu
Largemouth Bass Micropterus nigricans
Oriental Weatherfish Misgurnus anguillicaudatus
White Perch Morone americana
Shorthead Redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum
Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus non-native
Hornyhead Chub Nocomis biguttatus
Emerald Shiner Notropis atherinoides
Tadpole Madtom Noturus gyrinus
Common Logperch Percina caprodes
Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus
Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Sauger Sander canadensis
Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus

4 species above are flagged non-native or potentially invasive (Goldfish, Grass Carp, European Carp, Round Goby). Records show what has been observed near this station, not what is native to the watershed.

Where these records come from

Evidence: Community observations nearby; Research-grade community observations (iNaturalist) recorded near this station, not a formal survey.
Records: 43 species; from 119 individual records
Observed: Jul 31, 2012 – Aug 14, 2026; 119 dated records

Sources

iNaturalist research-grade fish observations — 119 records