Rivers in Illinois
Big Muddy River at Plumfield
Below flood stage
2.50ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 3:00 PM CDT
- Flood stage
- 20.00 ft
- Record crest
- 34.68 ft2011
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 34.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 27.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 20.00 ft |
| Action | 18.00 ft |
- 34.00 ftMany surrounding homes begin to flood.
- 20.00 ftMinor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
- 16.00 ftBankfull stage is reached.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 9% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
76 crests on NOAA’s list since 1916.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 4, 2011 | 34.68 ft |
| 2 | May 10, 1961 | 34.67 ft |
| 3 | April 30, 2011 | 33.50 ft |
| 4 | August 19, 1946 | 32.86 ft |
| 5 | May 4, 1983 | 31.84 ft |
| 6 | May 1, 1996 | 31.83 ft |
| 7 | January 26, 1949 | 30.70 ft |
| 8 | February 1, 1916 | 30.20 ft |
| 9 | March 21, 2008 | 29.86 ft |
| 10 | November 19, 1993 | 29.66 ft |
| 11 | April 6, 1957 | 29.50 ft |
| 12 | January 6, 1950 | 29.37 ft |
| 13 | January 17, 1937 | 29.16 ft |
| 14 | March 14, 1935 | 28.99 ft |
| 15 | March 12, 1964 | 28.95 ft |
| 16 | May 17, 1933 | 28.77 ft |
| 17 | May 2, 2017 | 28.62 ft |
| 18 | February 2, 1969 | 28.32 ft |
| 19 | March 6, 1979 | 28.32 ft |
| 20 | April 9, 2025 | 28.21 ft |
| 21 | April 3, 1985 | 28.03 ft |
| 22 | March 15, 2006 | 27.90 ft |
| 23 | April 6, 1989 | 27.70 ft |
| 24 | May 17, 2002 | 27.21 ft |
| 25 | April 20, 1939 | 26.56 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 9, 2025: 28.21 ft
- February 18, 2025: 20.25 ft
- March 27, 2023: 22.70 ft
- February 20, 2022: 20.12 ft
- March 21, 2021: 22.58 ft
- January 14, 2020: 22.01 ft
- February 14, 2019: 23.66 ft
- February 27, 2018: 23.39 ft
- May 2, 2017: 28.62 ft
- January 1, 2016: 24.63 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- UpstreamBig Muddy River at Rend Lake Pool
- DownstreamBig Muddy River at Murphysboro
- Crab Orchard Creek at Marion
- Crab Orchard Creek at Crab Orchard Lake near Marion 12W
- Grassy Creek (IL) at Devils Kitchen Lake near Marion 11WSW
- Little Grassy Creek at Little Grassy Lake near Marion 13WSW
- Big Muddy River Subimpoundment at Subimpoundment near Waltonville
- Casey Fork Subimpoundment at Subimpoundment near Bonnie
What this means
Forecasts by the North Central River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
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.