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Turkey River at Spillville

Highest listed crest 20.25 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft48 crests since 1947

The Turkey River at Spillville crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 48 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2025. The highest, 20.25 ft on August 24, 2016, was major flooding, 11.25 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Turkey River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.25 ft
August 24, 2016; 15,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
12
21st of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
August 18, 2025
11.23 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Winneshiek County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Turkey River at Spillville
Action stage7.03Jul 24, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.016May 15, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.012Aug 18, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.012Aug 28, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

48 crests from 1947 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Turkey River at Spillville, 1947 to 2025 0510152025ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jun 1, 1947: 18.40 ft, major flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1956: 4.13 ft, below flood stage; 398 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1957: 6.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1958: 5.17 ft, below flood stage; 500 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1959: 9.12 ft, minor flooding; 2,100 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 3,220 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1961: 14.37 ft, major flooding; 6,420 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1962: 15.32 ft, major flooding; 7,380 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1963: 8.41 ft, action stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1965: 16.11 ft, major flooding; 3,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1966: 12.24 ft, moderate flooding; 3,120 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1967: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 1,810 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1968: 9.29 ft, minor flooding; 1,720 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1969: 15.59 ft, major flooding; 6,990 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1970: 6.78 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1970: 12.20 ft, moderate flooding; 4,130 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1972: 16.73 ft, major flooding; 8,600 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1973: 12.64 ft, moderate flooding; 4,070 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1978: 13.77 ft, major flooding; 5,140 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1979: 11.55 ft, moderate flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1980: 12.55 ft, moderate flooding; 3,940 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1981: 10.73 ft, minor flooding; 2,690 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 1982: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 1,700 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 1982: 11.88 ft, moderate flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1983: 10.17 ft, minor flooding; 2,040 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1984: 9.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1985: 12.43 ft, moderate flooding; 3,980 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1986: 12.87 ft, moderate flooding; 4,660 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1989: 9.61 ft, minor flooding; 800 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1990: 16.76 ft, major flooding; 8,320 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1991: 10.85 ft, minor flooding; 2,830 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2011: 9.90 ft, minor flooding; 2,660 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2012: 6.78 ft, below flood stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 11.17 ft, moderate flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2014: 9.91 ft, minor flooding; 3,470 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2015: 9.44 ft, minor flooding; 2,640 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2016: 20.25 ft, major flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2016: 13.99 ft, major flooding; 6,280 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2017: 8.82 ft, action stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2018: 14.42 ft, major flooding; 7,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 12.10 ft, moderate flooding; 4,340 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2019: 9.13 ft, minor flooding; 2,336 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2019: 10.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,364 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2020: 11.40 ft, moderate flooding; 3,805 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2021: 15.10 ft, major flooding; 7,140 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2022: 8.22 ft, action stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2023: 9.48 ft, minor flooding; 3,200 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2025: 11.23 ft, moderate flooding; 4,410 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.25 ft, Aug 24, 2016 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Turkey River at Spillville 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 8 1970s: 5 1980s: 9 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 4 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Turkey River at Spillville
1Aug 24, 201620.25+11.25Major15,300
2Jun 1, 194718.40+9.40Major10,000
3Aug 25, 199016.76+7.76Major8,320
4Jul 12, 197216.73+7.73Major8,600
5Mar 1, 196516.11+7.11Major3,900
6Jun 26, 196915.59+6.59Major6,990
7Mar 29, 196215.32+6.32Major7,380
8Aug 28, 202115.10+6.10Major7,140
9May 4, 201814.42+5.42Major7,000
10Mar 27, 196114.37+5.37Major6,420
11Sep 10, 201613.99+4.99Major6,280
12May 11, 197813.77+4.77Major5,140
13Mar 19, 198612.87+3.87Moderate4,660
14May 2, 197312.64+3.64Moderate4,070
15Mar 16, 198012.55+3.55Moderate3,940
16Feb 24, 198512.43+3.43Moderate3,980
17Feb 9, 196612.24+3.24Moderate3,120
18Oct 10, 197012.20+3.20Moderate4,130
19Mar 15, 201912.10+3.10Moderate4,340
20Nov 12, 198211.88+2.88Moderate3,720
21Mar 19, 197911.55+2.55Moderate3,540
22Jun 10, 202011.40+2.40Moderate3,805
23Aug 18, 202511.23+2.23Moderate4,410
24May 30, 201311.17+2.17Moderate3,500
25Apr 29, 199110.85+1.85Minor2,830
26Jun 29, 201910.80+1.80Minor3,364
27Aug 31, 198110.73+1.73Minor2,690
28Mar 30, 196010.70+1.70Minor3,220
29May 22, 198310.17+1.17Minor2,040
30Jun 20, 20149.91+0.91Minor3,470
31Mar 21, 20119.90+0.90Minor2,660
32Mar 12, 19899.61+0.61Minor800
33Mar 27, 19679.53+0.53Minor1,810
34May 15, 20239.48+0.48Minor3,200
35Jun 23, 20159.44+0.44Minor2,640
36Jul 24, 19689.29+0.29Minor1,720
37Aug 30, 19829.14+0.14Minor1,700
38May 19, 20199.13+0.13Minor2,336
39Mar 30, 19599.12+0.12Minor2,100
40Jun 18, 19849.02+0.02Minor1,160
41Feb 21, 20178.82−0.18Action2,200
42Mar 17, 19638.41−0.59Action2,000
43Jul 24, 20228.22−0.78Action1,900
44Aug 9, 19706.78−2.22Below flood stage1,130
45Apr 20, 20126.78−2.22Below flood stage1,240
46Jul 16, 19576.73−2.27Below flood stage1,230
47Feb 24, 19585.17−3.83Below flood stage500
48Jul 31, 19564.13−4.87Below flood stage398

The worst floods along the Turkey River

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

August 24, 2016: 20.25 ft here, major flooding

  • Elgin (IFC)IA · Aug 26, 2016 · 775.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • GarberIA · Aug 27, 2016 · 23.60 ft · Major
  • ElkaderIA · Aug 26, 2016 · 22.57 ft · Major
  • EldoradoIA · Aug 25, 2016 · 21.34 ft · Major
  • Cresco (IFC)IA · Aug 24, 2016 · 1,135.43 ft · Moderate · its highest

August 25, 1990: 16.76 ft here, major flooding

  • GarberIA · Aug 27, 1990 · 24.63 ft · Major

Gauges on the Turkey River

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

Flood gauges on the Turkey River
ElkaderIA12.027.77 ft, Jun 10, 20086
GarberIA17.032.80 ft, May 23, 200428
Spillville this gaugeIA9.020.25 ft, Aug 24, 201612
Cresco (IFC)IA1,128.51,135.43 ft, Aug 24, 20160
EldoradoIA13.021.46 ft, Jun 9, 20086
Elgin (IFC)IA766.0775.60 ft, Aug 26, 20161

Other gauges in Winneshiek County

Flood gauges in Winneshiek County
Fort Atkinson (IFC)1,014.51,015.93 ft, Jun 29, 20170
Cresco (IFC)1,128.51,135.43 ft, Aug 24, 20160
Bluffton12.015.49 ft, Jun 9, 20081
Decorah12.017.90 ft, Jun 9, 20082

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SPLI4, 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.