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Des Plaines River near Lemont

Highest listed crest 13.24 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft19 crests since 1957

The Des Plaines River near Lemont crested above flood stage 15 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1957 to 2021. The highest, 13.24 ft on May 18, 2020, was moderate flooding, 3.24 feet above flood stage. 9 other gauges on the Des Plaines River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.24 ft
May 18, 2020; 10,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
0
15 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 27, 2021
10.70 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cook County
Near Lemont (2.3 mi), Bolingbrook (4.1 mi), Woodridge (4.6 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 near Lemont
Action stage9.52Feb 22, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.014Jun 27, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.01May 18, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

19 crests from 1957 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Des Plaines River near Lemont, 1957 to 2021 810121416ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jul 14, 1957: 12.30 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1960: 10.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 2011: 9.41 ft, below flood stageApr 28, 2011: 9.57 ft, action stageMay 27, 2011: 10.18 ft, minor floodingJul 24, 2011: 11.23 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 2013: 12.58 ft, minor flooding; 7,480 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2014: 9.03 ft, below flood stageFeb 22, 2014: 9.75 ft, action stageJun 17, 2015: 11.46 ft, minor floodingMay 2, 2017: 11.05 ft, minor flooding; 5,160 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2017: 11.52 ft, minor flooding; 5,800 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2017: 12.41 ft, minor flooding; 7,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 11.67 ft, minor flooding; 6,050 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2018: 11.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,370 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 11.96 ft, minor flooding; 6,490 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2020: 11.15 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 13.24 ft, moderate flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2021: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,690 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.24 ft, May 18, 2020 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Des Plaines River near Lemont 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 4 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 12.20 ft on Sep 15, 2008; 11.00 ft on Mar 11, 2009; 10.50 ft on May 2, 2009; 11.20 ft on Jul 25, 2010.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Des Plaines River near Lemont
1May 18, 202013.24+3.24Moderate10,800
2Apr 19, 201312.58+2.58Minor7,480
3Oct 15, 201712.41+2.41Minor7,200
4Jul 14, 195712.30+2.30Minor—
5May 1, 201911.96+1.96Minor6,490
6Feb 21, 201811.67+1.67Minor6,050
7Jul 23, 201711.52+1.52Minor5,800
8Jun 17, 201511.46+1.46Minor—
9Jul 24, 201111.23+1.23Minor—
10Jun 23, 201811.20+1.20Minor5,370
11May 1, 202011.15+1.15Minor5,300
12May 2, 201711.05+1.05Minor5,160
13Apr 3, 196010.70+0.70Minor—
14Jun 27, 202110.70+0.70Minor4,690
15May 27, 201110.18+0.18Minor—
16Feb 22, 20149.75−0.25Action—
17Apr 28, 20119.57−0.43Action—
18Feb 22, 20119.41−0.59Below flood stage—
19Jan 13, 20149.03−0.97Below 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.

May 18, 2020: 13.24 ft here, moderate flooding

April 19, 2013: 12.58 ft here, minor 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
  • LincolnshireIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 16.36 ft · Major
  • 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

October 15, 2017: 12.41 ft here, minor flooding

  • LyonsIL · Oct 15, 2017 · 20.75 ft · Moderate
  • RiversideIL · Oct 15, 2017 · 8.60 ft · Moderate
  • Des PlainesIL · Oct 15, 2017 · 15.87 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
LincolnshireIL12.516.55 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
Lemont this gaugeIL10.013.24 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 Cook County

Flood gauges in Cook County
Bellwood9.013.57 ft, Jul 24, 20104
Wheeling5.08.46 ft, Jun 26, 20136
Flossmoor9.013.08 ft, Apr 17, 20060
Markham10.012.00 ft, Oct 11, 19542
Chicago (Columbus Dr)3.05.50 ft, Oct 10, 19542
Chicago (Western Ave)4.05.26 ft, May 17, 20200
Chicago Heights10.012.87 ft, Sep 15, 20080
Des Plaines (Algonquin Road)13.021.00 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Lyons18.022.87 ft, Apr 18, 20132
River Forest16.018.98 ft, Apr 19, 20131
Riverside7.511.28 ft, Apr 18, 20137
Des Plaines15.020.92 ft, Apr 19, 20135
Willow Springs10.010.57 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Lake Michigan at Calumet Harbor5.06.07 ft, Aug 11, 20200
Lake Michigan at Chicago (Chicago Lock)4.05.98 ft, Apr 29, 20200
Lansing7.010.18 ft, Oct 11, 19540
South Holland16.020.50 ft, Nov 28, 19905
Lemont6.011.10 ft, Jul 18, 19961
Mount Prospect5.08.08 ft, Aug 14, 19872
Oak Forest6.09.50 ft, Apr 5, 19472
Midlothian8.59.98 ft, Feb 2, 20160
Chicago (Grand Ave)3.05.70 ft, Oct 10, 19543
Chicago (Pulaski Rd)18.022.50 ft, Aug 14, 19871
Niles10.012.13 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Elgin5.57.69 ft, Sep 13, 20080
Elk Grove Village17.020.80 ft, May 18, 20200
Rolling Meadows8.514.03 ft, Aug 14, 19870
Western Springs7.510.65 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Worth31.036.50 ft, Oct 11, 19542
Glenwood8.511.14 ft, Jul 13, 19570
Thornton9.017.06 ft, Jun 14, 19816
Palos Park9.010.30 ft, Oct 10, 19540
Des Plaines9.015.09 ft, Jun 10, 19677
Northbrook7.010.10 ft, Aug 14, 19877

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LEMI2, 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.