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Big Thompson River (CO) below Lake Estes

Highest listed crest 9.05 ftFlood stage 6.5 ft11 crests since 1995

The Big Thompson River (CO) below Lake Estes crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1995 to 2021. The highest, 9.05 ft on September 12, 2013, was major flooding, 2.55 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Big Thompson River (CO) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.05 ft
September 12, 2013; 5,280 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.5 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
1
6th of 100 gauges in Colorado
Most recent flood crest
September 12, 2013
9.05 ft, major flooding
Location
Larimer County
Colorado
Identifiers
NWS BTBC2
No USGS station

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Big Thompson River (CO) below Lake Estes
Action stage6.02Jun 7, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.50—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.01Sep 12, 2013Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1995 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Thompson River (CO) below Lake Estes, 1995 to 2021 5678910ft Flood stage 6.5 ftMajor 8.0 ft Jul 13, 1995: 5.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1996: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 951 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1997: 6.14 ft, action stage; 1,129 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1999: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 982 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2003: 5.52 ft, below flood stage; 915 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2010: 6.08 ft, action stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2011: 5.62 ft, below flood stage; 989 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2013: 9.05 ft, major flooding; 5,280 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2014: 5.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2020: 5.45 ft, below flood stage; 889 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2021: 5.21 ft, below flood stage; 839 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.05 ft, Sep 12, 2013 199520002005201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Thompson River (CO) below Lake Estes 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1 2020s: 0 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Big Thompson River (CO) below Lake Estes
1Sep 12, 20139.05+2.55Major5,280
2Jun 3, 19976.14−0.36Action1,129
3Jun 7, 20106.08−0.42Action1,150
4May 31, 20145.83−0.67Below flood stage1,070
5Jul 13, 19955.73−0.77Below flood stage1,030
6Jun 16, 19995.72−0.78Below flood stage982
7Jun 6, 20115.62−0.88Below flood stage989
8Jun 7, 19965.55−0.95Below flood stage951
9May 30, 20035.52−0.98Below flood stage915
10Jun 1, 20205.45−1.05Below flood stage889
11Jun 7, 20215.21−1.29Below flood stage839

The worst floods along the Big Thompson River (CO)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Big Thompson River (CO) that crested above flood stage within a week.

September 12, 2013: 9.05 ft here, major flooding

  • LovelandCO · Sep 13, 2013 · 11.93 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Big Thompson River (CO)

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Big Thompson River (CO)
LovelandCO10.011.93 ft, Sep 13, 20131
Lake Estes this gaugeCO6.59.05 ft, Sep 12, 20131
La SalleCO8.09.91 ft, May 1, 19800

Other gauges in Larimer County

Flood gauges in Larimer County
Loveland10.011.93 ft, Sep 13, 20131
Masonville11.514.82 ft, Sep 13, 20131
Fort Collins7.510.29 ft, Sep 13, 20130
Fort Collins10.011.56 ft, Sep 13, 20130

Larimer County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Colorado

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BTBC2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.