Monitoring for shallow groundwater tables can be a useful tool for identifying flow networks within the field, identifying saturated areas and verifying redoximorphic features. However, most commercially available water-level detection probes are designed for monitoring deeper wells and therefore can be expensive to implement. We have developed a simple, easy to fabricate, water-level probe. With an outer diameter of 2 cm, this water-level detector can be installed into 2.54 cm schedule 40 and larger water wells. The measuring device, an Omega PX-26, 0-5 psi, differential pressure transducer, is inserted into a machined piece of 1.27 cm schedule 80 PVC pipe and is sealed using waterproof epoxy. Atmospheric pressure is compensated by installing an open tube from the upper end of the differential pressure transducer to the atmosphere. The pressure transducer is then operated by a datalogger (Campbell Scientific, Inc., Logan, Utah) that provides 2500 mV of excitation voltage. Calibrating the water-level probe yielded a linear response with an r-squared value of 0.99. Two of the water-level probes were installed in wells equipped with commercial water-level recorders and monitored for over a month. Regression analysis conducted between the commercial probe and our probe produced r-squared values of 0.99 and 0.98. Two other probes were installed in a forested catchment and were monitored for over 6 months in a wide range of climatic conditions. Results show that the probes were resilient to harsh climatic conditions and were able to measure a shallow groundwater table during precipitation events.