Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire

Highest listed crest 16.55 ftFlood stage 12.5 ft28 crests since 1948

The Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2020. The highest, 16.55 ft on July 13, 2017, was major flooding, 4.05 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Des Plaines River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.55 ft
July 13, 2017; 3,710 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.5 ft
Major flooding from 15.5 ft
Crests at major
4
65th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 18, 2020
15.75 ft, major flooding
Location
Lake County
Near Vernon Hills (3.2 mi), Buffalo Grove (3.3 mi), Lake Forest (4.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire
Action stage11.55Oct 5, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.512Mar 29, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.05May 1, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.54May 18, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1948 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire, 1948 to 2020 1012141618ft Flood stage 12.5 ftMajor 15.5 ft Mar 28, 1948: 14.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 25, 1950: 14.50 ft, moderate floodingJul 13, 1957: 10.80 ft, below flood stageApr 3, 1960: 15.90 ft, major floodingJun 23, 2009: 13.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2010: 13.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 12.15 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2012: 10.85 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 16.36 ft, major flooding; 3,630 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2014: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 1,770 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2017: 13.16 ft, minor flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2017: 13.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,600 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2017: 16.55 ft, major flooding; 3,710 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 12.59 ft, minor flooding; 1,760 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2018: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,150 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2018: 14.33 ft, moderate flooding; 2,530 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2018: 13.26 ft, minor flooding; 2,040 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2018: 11.90 ft, action stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 2018: 12.43 ft, action stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2019: 12.65 ft, minor flooding; 1,440 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2019: 13.29 ft, minor flooding; 1,870 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2019: 12.58 ft, minor flooding; 1,760 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2019: 12.10 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2019: 15.07 ft, moderate flooding; 2,720 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 2019: 12.07 ft, action stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2020: 12.54 ft, minor flooding; 1,700 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2020: 14.42 ft, moderate flooding; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 15.75 ft, major flooding; 2,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.55 ft, Jul 13, 2017 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 14 14 2020s: 3 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, Des Plaines River at Lincolnshire
1Jul 13, 201716.55+4.05Major3,710
2Apr 19, 201316.36+3.86Major3,630
3Apr 3, 196015.90+3.40Major—
4May 18, 202015.75+3.25Major2,900
5Sep 14, 201915.07+2.57Moderate2,720
6Apr 25, 195014.50+2.00Moderate—
7May 1, 202014.42+1.92Moderate2,280
8Mar 28, 194814.40+1.90Moderate—
9Jun 28, 201814.33+1.83Moderate2,530
10Jun 23, 200913.55+1.05Minor2,180
11May 22, 201813.50+1.00Minor2,150
12Mar 16, 201913.29+0.79Minor1,870
13Sep 4, 201813.26+0.76Minor2,040
14Apr 6, 201713.16+0.66Minor2,000
15May 14, 201013.15+0.65Minor2,000
16May 13, 201413.08+0.58Minor1,770
17May 2, 201713.02+0.52Minor1,600
18Feb 8, 201912.65+0.15Minor1,440
19Feb 21, 201812.59+0.09Minor1,760
20May 3, 201912.58+0.08Minor1,760
21Mar 29, 202012.54+0.04Minor1,700
22Dec 4, 201812.43−0.07Action1,690
23Apr 28, 201112.15−0.35Action1,580
24May 11, 201912.10−0.40Action1,580
25Oct 5, 201912.07−0.43Action1,440
26Oct 1, 201811.90−0.60Action1,490
27Apr 16, 201210.85−1.65Below flood stage1,130
28Jul 13, 195710.80−1.70Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Des Plaines River

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

July 13, 2017: 16.55 ft here, major flooding

  • Des PlainesIL · Jul 14, 2017 · 19.92 ft · Major
  • RussellIL · Jul 14, 2017 · 12.11 ft · Major · its highest
  • GurneeIL · Jul 16, 2017 · 12.09 ft · Major · its highest
  • RiversideIL · Jul 15, 2017 · 7.71 ft · Minor

April 19, 2013: 16.36 ft here, major flooding

  • LyonsIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 22.87 ft · Major · its highest
  • Des PlainesIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 20.92 ft · Major · its highest
  • River ForestIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 18.98 ft · Major · its highest
  • RiversideIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 11.28 ft · Major · its highest
  • GurneeIL · Apr 20, 2013 · 11.20 ft · Major
  • RussellIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 9.99 ft · Moderate
  • LemontIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 12.58 ft · Minor

April 3, 1960: 15.90 ft here, major flooding

  • Des PlainesIL · Apr 2, 1960 · 18.56 ft · Moderate
  • GurneeIL · Apr 3, 1960 · 10.64 ft · Moderate
  • RussellIL · Apr 2, 1960 · 9.69 ft · Moderate
  • LemontIL · Apr 3, 1960 · 10.70 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Des Plaines River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Des Plaines River
RussellIL7.012.11 ft, Jul 14, 20178
GurneeIL7.012.09 ft, Jul 16, 20174
Lincolnshire this gaugeIL12.516.55 ft, Jul 13, 20174
Des PlainesIL15.020.92 ft, Apr 19, 20135
Des Plaines (Algonquin Road)IL13.021.00 ft, Sep 14, 20082
River ForestIL16.018.98 ft, Apr 19, 20131
RiversideIL7.511.28 ft, Apr 18, 20137
LyonsIL18.022.87 ft, Apr 18, 20132
LemontIL10.013.24 ft, May 18, 20200
JolietIL541.0542.00 ft, Jul 1, 19570
Brandon Road Lock (tailwater)IL507.0513.30 ft, Jul 13, 19570

Other gauges in Lake County

Flood gauges in Lake County
Gurnee7.012.09 ft, Jul 16, 20174
Russell7.012.11 ft, Jul 14, 20178
Fox Lake6.08.12 ft, Apr 5, 19606
Lake Villa6.08.90 ft, Jul 4, 19387
Antioch6.08.34 ft, Apr 5, 19606
Old Mill Creek11.013.21 ft, Jul 12, 20170
Deerfield9.512.75 ft, Jul 13, 20170
Highland Park9.010.44 ft, Jul 13, 20170
Lake Forest6.09.09 ft, Jul 12, 20170
Deerfield13.016.84 ft, Jun 10, 19671

Lake County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LDRI2, 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.