Rivers in Minnesota

South Kawishiwi River near Ely

Lake County, MinnesotaNWS SKRM5USGS 05125000Duluth office

Below flood stage
2.04ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 22, 6:30 AM CDT

Flood stage
6.50 ft
Record crest
7.25 ft1954

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood8.50 ft
Moderate flood7.50 ft
Minor flood6.50 ft
Action5.50 ft
  1. 7.00 ftSeveral BWCA camp sites may be submerged. Portages may have flowing water difficult to identify. Areas with swift currents may be hazardous to recreationalists.
  2. 6.50 ftFlood waters encroach on the lowest BWCA Campsites. Swift water currents may be a hazard to recreationalists.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.

Crest history

34 crests on NOAA’s list since 1952.

#DateStage
1May 4, 19547.25 ft
2April 21, 19767.18 ft
3April 29, 19576.88 ft
4May 17, 20226.88 ft
5June 24, 20246.63 ft
6May 18, 19566.52 ft
7May 14, 20146.16 ft
8May 12, 20236.08 ft
9April 29, 20085.92 ft
10May 16, 20065.90 ft
11May 8, 19605.74 ft
12June 4, 19785.70 ft
13June 26, 20125.69 ft
14April 24, 20165.53 ft
15April 26, 19525.45 ft
16July 23, 20135.43 ft
17May 6, 20095.39 ft
18April 30, 20195.25 ft
19June 5, 19535.19 ft
20April 26, 20175.19 ft
21April 25, 20045.17 ft
22April 17, 20215.04 ft
23April 27, 19614.99 ft
24May 6, 20204.94 ft
25May 15, 20054.90 ft

Most recent crests

  • June 24, 2024: 6.63 ft
  • May 12, 2023: 6.08 ft
  • May 17, 2022: 6.88 ft
  • April 17, 2021: 5.04 ft
  • May 6, 2020: 4.94 ft
  • April 30, 2019: 5.25 ft
  • July 8, 2018: 4.49 ft
  • April 26, 2017: 5.19 ft
  • April 24, 2016: 5.53 ft
  • June 11, 2015: 4.82 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

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. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months.

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.