Rivers in Iowa
Spirit Lake near Orleans
Below flood stage
14.33ftStage
Observed Wed, Sep 30, 2:15 PM CDT
- Flood stage
- 16.00 ft
- Record crest
- 18.79 ft1993
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 19.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 17.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 16.00 ft |
| Action | 15.50 ft |
- 20.00 ftYards and basements of homes along the lake shore start flooding.
- 17.00 ftWater overflows the spillway channel, and camping areas, parks, and parking lots start to flood.
- 16.00 ftThe Emergency Lake-wide 5 mph rule on Big Spirit Lake is enacted.
- 14.20 ftWater from Spirit Lake starts going over the spillway into East Okoboji Lake.
Crest history
74 crests on NOAA’s list since 1933.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 18, 1993 | 18.79 ft |
| 2 | June 25, 2024 | 16.48 ft |
| 3 | July 5, 2018 | 15.94 ft |
| 4 | April 12, 1995 | 15.76 ft |
| 5 | July 10, 1969 | 15.72 ft |
| 6 | March 31, 2007 | 15.68 ft |
| 7 | June 24, 1945 | 15.66 ft |
| 8 | April 21, 1992 | 15.63 ft |
| 9 | June 17, 1944 | 15.59 ft |
| 10 | March 26, 2019 | 15.58 ft |
| 11 | April 10, 2006 | 15.54 ft |
| 12 | June 23, 1994 | 15.54 ft |
| 13 | September 16, 2011 | 15.45 ft |
| 14 | March 23, 1952 | 15.36 ft |
| 15 | July 5, 1947 | 15.34 ft |
| 16 | May 21, 2005 | 15.28 ft |
| 17 | June 14, 1953 | 15.27 ft |
| 18 | March 24, 2010 | 15.25 ft |
| 19 | June 17, 2001 | 15.25 ft |
| 20 | April 14, 1965 | 15.25 ft |
| 21 | July 13, 1951 | 15.23 ft |
| 22 | July 13, 1962 | 15.22 ft |
| 23 | May 12, 2016 | 15.22 ft |
| 24 | June 25, 1946 | 15.14 ft |
| 25 | April 3, 1971 | 15.13 ft |
Most recent crests
- August 21, 2025: 14.74 ft
- June 25, 2024: 16.48 ft
- May 14, 2023: 14.70 ft
- April 1, 2020: 15.03 ft
- March 26, 2019: 15.58 ft
- July 5, 2018: 15.94 ft
- May 24, 2017: 15.05 ft
- May 12, 2016: 15.22 ft
- June 22, 2015: 14.14 ft
- June 27, 2014: 14.85 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Missouri Basin River Forecast Center. Forecasts are not available. Only observed stages are available for this point. No forecasts are available for this location Gauge reading may be affected by ice.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.