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Little Sioux River at Spencer

Highest listed crest 22.20 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft50 crests since 1936

The Little Sioux River at Spencer crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 50 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2025. The highest, 22.20 ft on June 22, 2024, was major flooding, 12.20 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Little Sioux River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 6 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.20 ft
June 22, 2024
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
12
21st of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2024
22.20 ft, major flooding
Location
Clay County
Near Spencer (0.8 mi)
Identifiers
NWS SPWI4
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, Little Sioux River at Spencer
Action stage9.02Jul 31, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.024May 16, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.011Jun 20, 2014Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.012Jun 22, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

50 crests from 1936 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Sioux River at Spencer, 1936 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Mar 21, 1936: 15.40 ft, moderate floodingJun 14, 1937: 13.96 ft, minor flooding; 3,250 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1938: 14.97 ft, moderate flooding; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1939: 9.98 ft, action stageJun 24, 1940: 7.38 ft, below flood stage; 503 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1941: 10.95 ft, minor flooding; 1,340 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1942: 12.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,170 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1951: 16.50 ft, major floodingJun 8, 1953: 20.20 ft, major flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1954: 17.60 ft, major floodingMar 28, 1960: 13.10 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1961: 14.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1962: 14.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1965: 17.37 ft, major flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 12.00 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 1969: 16.20 ft, major floodingJul 23, 1978: 13.53 ft, minor floodingJun 16, 1981: 10.55 ft, minor floodingJul 10, 1982: 14.30 ft, moderate floodingJun 21, 1983: 15.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 22, 1984: 16.20 ft, major floodingApr 24, 1985: 13.90 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 1986: 13.60 ft, minor floodingSep 19, 1987: 12.75 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1989: 10.50 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 1990: 10.15 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1991: 12.50 ft, minor floodingApr 22, 1992: 11.90 ft, minor floodingJul 1, 1993: 17.00 ft, major floodingJun 25, 1994: 14.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1996: 10.30 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 1997: 13.20 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 1999: 12.00 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 2001: 14.70 ft, moderate floodingSep 18, 2004: 14.30 ft, moderate flooding; 6,900 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2005: 13.90 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 2007: 16.00 ft, major floodingMar 16, 2010: 15.55 ft, moderate floodingJul 16, 2011: 16.50 ft, major floodingMay 31, 2012: 11.90 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2013: 12.10 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2014: 15.18 ft, moderate floodingFeb 22, 2016: 11.47 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 2017: 12.20 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 2018: 17.40 ft, major floodingMar 15, 2019: 17.45 ft, major floodingMar 10, 2020: 11.70 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2023: 10.89 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 2024: 22.20 ft, major floodingJul 31, 2025: 9.13 ft, action stage Highest, 22.20 ft, Jun 22, 2024 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Sioux River at Spencer 1930s: 3 1940s: 2 1950s: 3 1960s: 6 1970s: 1 1980s: 8 1990s: 8 2000s: 4 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 3 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Little Sioux River at Spencer
1Jun 22, 202422.20+12.20Major—
2Jun 8, 195320.20+10.20Major30,000
3Jun 21, 195417.60+7.60Major—
4Mar 15, 201917.45+7.45Major—
5Jun 26, 201817.40+7.40Major—
6Apr 6, 196517.37+7.37Major16,700
7Jul 1, 199317.00+7.00Major—
8Apr 1, 195116.50+6.50Major—
9Jul 16, 201116.50+6.50Major—
10Apr 7, 196916.20+6.20Major—
11Jun 22, 198416.20+6.20Major—
12Mar 15, 200716.00+6.00Major—
13Mar 16, 201015.55+5.55Moderate—
14Mar 21, 193615.40+5.40Moderate—
15Jun 20, 201415.18+5.18Moderate—
16Jun 21, 198315.00+5.00Moderate—
17Sep 16, 193814.97+4.97Moderate5,000
18Jun 25, 199414.70+4.70Moderate—
19Jun 15, 200114.70+4.70Moderate—
20Mar 31, 196214.50+4.50Moderate—
21Mar 26, 196114.40+4.40Moderate—
22Jul 10, 198214.30+4.30Moderate—
23Sep 18, 200414.30+4.30Moderate6,900
24Jun 14, 193713.96+3.96Minor3,250
25Apr 24, 198513.90+3.90Minor—
26May 16, 200513.90+3.90Minor—
27Mar 20, 198613.60+3.60Minor—
28Jul 23, 197813.53+3.53Minor—
29Mar 22, 199713.20+3.20Minor—
30Mar 28, 196013.10+3.10Minor—
31Sep 19, 198712.75+2.75Minor—
32Apr 15, 199112.50+2.50Minor—
33Aug 31, 194212.30+2.30Minor2,170
34May 23, 201712.20+2.20Minor—
35Jun 28, 201312.10+2.10Minor—
36Feb 10, 196612.00+2.00Minor—
37Jun 7, 199912.00+2.00Minor—
38Apr 22, 199211.90+1.90Minor—
39May 31, 201211.90+1.90Minor—
40Mar 10, 202011.70+1.70Minor—
41Feb 22, 201611.47+1.47Minor—
42Mar 10, 194110.95+0.95Minor1,340
43May 16, 202310.89+0.89Minor—
44Jun 16, 198110.55+0.55Minor—
45Mar 11, 198910.50+0.50Minor—
46Mar 31, 199610.30+0.30Minor—
47Jun 20, 199010.15+0.15Minor—
48Mar 14, 19399.98−0.02Action—
49Jul 31, 20259.13−0.87Action—
50Jun 24, 19407.38−2.62Below flood stage503

The worst floods along the Little Sioux River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Little Sioux River that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 22, 2024: 22.20 ft here, major flooding

  • MontgomeryIA · Jun 23, 2024 · 1,395.88 ft · Major · its highest
  • Spencer / Highway 18IA · Jun 22, 2024 · 1,328.17 ft · Major · its highest
  • CherokeeIA · Jun 24, 2024 · 32.98 ft · Major · its highest
  • CorrectionvilleIA · Jun 24, 2024 · 30.92 ft · Major · its highest
  • Linn GroveIA · Jun 23, 2024 · 29.98 ft · Major · its highest
  • MilfordIA · Jun 22, 2024 · 20.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • TurinIA · Jun 26, 2024 · 27.37 ft · Minor

June 8, 1953: 20.20 ft here, major flooding

June 21, 1954: 17.60 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Little Sioux River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Sioux River
SpencerIA10.014.45 ft, Jul 15, 20110
CherokeeIA17.032.98 ft, Jun 24, 20249
CorrectionvilleIA19.030.92 ft, Jun 24, 202412
Linn GroveIA16.529.98 ft, Jun 23, 20246
Spencer this gaugeIA10.022.20 ft, Jun 22, 202412
MilfordIA13.020.40 ft, Jun 22, 20242
MontgomeryIA1,391.01,395.88 ft, Jun 23, 20242
Spencer / Highway 18IA1,322.01,328.17 ft, Jun 22, 20241
TurinIA25.029.57 ft, Mar 15, 20190

Other gauges in Clay County

Flood gauges in Clay County
Spencer10.014.45 ft, Jul 15, 20110
Spencer / Highway 181,322.01,328.17 ft, Jun 22, 20241
Everly1,364.01,368.68 ft, Jun 22, 20240
Spencer8.017.20 ft, Jun 22, 202411
Cornell90.094.30 ft, Jun 27, 20100

Clay County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Iowa

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SPWI4, 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.