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Fox River at Dayton

Highest listed crest 36.47 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft95 crests since 1926

The Fox River at Dayton crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 95 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1926 to 2024. The highest, 36.47 ft on January 25, 1960, was major flooding, 24.47 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
36.47 ft
January 25, 1960
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
5
56th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
January 27, 2024
13.46 ft, minor flooding
Location
LaSalle County
Near Ottawa (2.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Fox River at Dayton
Action stage11.07Jul 16, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.028Jan 27, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.052May 18, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.05Jul 19, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

95 crests from 1926 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Fox River at Dayton, 1926 to 2024 10203040ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Sep 23, 1926: 15.80 ft, moderate flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1927: 14.40 ft, moderate flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1928: 11.50 ft, action stage; 7,500 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1929: 15.50 ft, moderate flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1930: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 5,700 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1932: 12.70 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1935: 11.70 ft, action stage; 7,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1936: 13.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 1937: 16.50 ft, moderate floodingJan 25, 1938: 17.50 ft, moderate flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1939: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 8,590 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1940: 13.80 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1942: 11.87 ft, action stage; 8,110 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1943: 13.14 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1944: 15.83 ft, moderate flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1945: 13.32 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1946: 13.10 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1947: 15.20 ft, moderate flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1948: 19.65 ft, moderate flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1949: 14.10 ft, moderate flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1950: 16.67 ft, moderate flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1951: 14.55 ft, moderate flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1952: 32.04 ft, major floodingOct 11, 1954: 24.63 ft, major flooding; 47,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1955: 15.18 ft, moderate floodingFeb 25, 1956: 12.42 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 1958: 13.33 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1959: 13.03 ft, minor floodingJan 25, 1960: 36.47 ft, major floodingApr 18, 1960: 14.83 ft, moderate floodingMar 20, 1962: 14.52 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 1965: 14.61 ft, moderate floodingFeb 21, 1966: 22.81 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 1966: 16.74 ft, moderate floodingApr 2, 1967: 14.13 ft, moderate floodingDec 28, 1968: 13.14 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 1969: 22.51 ft, moderate floodingJun 3, 1970: 14.98 ft, moderate floodingFeb 20, 1971: 12.65 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 1972: 14.58 ft, moderate floodingJan 10, 1973: 32.00 ft, major floodingApr 23, 1973: 15.34 ft, moderate floodingFeb 11, 1974: 22.18 ft, moderate floodingJan 13, 1975: 16.53 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1976: 13.82 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1978: 13.61 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 1979: 17.35 ft, moderate floodingSep 8, 1980: 13.80 ft, minor floodingJun 14, 1981: 15.49 ft, moderate flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1982: 13.63 ft, minor floodingDec 3, 1983: 17.17 ft, moderate floodingFeb 13, 1984: 19.80 ft, moderate floodingFeb 24, 1985: 19.52 ft, moderate floodingFeb 5, 1986: 16.50 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 1990: 13.48 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 1991: 14.24 ft, moderate floodingMar 24, 1993: 14.48 ft, moderate flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1994: 20.53 ft, moderate floodingMay 29, 1996: 16.09 ft, moderate floodingJul 19, 1996: 24.47 ft, major flooding; 55,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 21.46 ft, moderate flooding; 41,200 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1998: 13.15 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1999: 15.13 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 1999: 13.67 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2000: 12.43 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2001: 14.58 ft, moderate flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2002: 14.65 ft, moderate flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2003: 10.05 ft, below flood stage; 6,840 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2004: 13.64 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 11.38 ft, action stage; 9,540 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2005: 17.53 ft, moderate floodingAug 21, 2007: 11.69 ft, action stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 21.48 ft, moderate flooding; 44,300 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2008: 16.33 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2010: 13.98 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2011: 13.70 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2011: 10.05 ft, below flood stage; 6,840 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 20.70 ft, moderate flooding; 38,800 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 14.85 ft, moderate flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2017: 12.21 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 14.49 ft, moderate flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2017: 14.43 ft, moderate flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2017: 15.10 ft, moderate flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 2018: 12.06 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2019: 15.14 ft, moderate flooding; 7,450 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2019: 16.25 ft, moderate flooding; 2,670 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 15.66 ft, moderate flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2019: 13.66 ft, minor flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2019: 17.35 ft, moderate flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2020: 18.13 ft, moderate floodingApr 30, 2020: 13.27 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 17.12 ft, moderate flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2024: 13.46 ft, minor flooding; 7,530 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2024: 11.64 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2024: 11.26 ft, action stage; 9,280 cubic feet per second Highest, 36.47 ft, Jan 25, 1960 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Fox River at Dayton 1920s: 3 1930s: 5 1940s: 8 1950s: 8 1960s: 9 1970s: 10 1980s: 7 1990s: 10 2000s: 7 2010s: 14 14 2020s: 4 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 5 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 17.70 ft on Jan 22, 1916; 13.40 ft on Feb 15, 1918; 13.55 ft on Mar 18, 1919; 14.20 ft on Mar 26, 1920; 14.80 ft on Jan 4, 1922.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 95 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Fox River at Dayton
1Jan 25, 196036.47+24.47Major—
2Jan 30, 195232.04+20.04Major—
3Jan 10, 197332.00+20.00Major—
4Oct 11, 195424.63+12.63Major47,100
5Jul 19, 199624.47+12.47Major55,400
6Feb 21, 196622.81+10.81Moderate—
7Jan 26, 196922.51+10.51Moderate—
8Feb 11, 197422.18+10.18Moderate—
9Sep 14, 200821.48+9.48Moderate44,300
10Feb 22, 199721.46+9.46Moderate41,200
11Apr 19, 201320.70+8.70Moderate38,800
12Feb 27, 199420.53+8.53Moderate—
13Feb 13, 198419.80+7.80Moderate—
14Mar 19, 194819.65+7.65Moderate29,000
15Feb 24, 198519.52+7.52Moderate—
16Jan 21, 202018.13+6.13Moderate—
17Jan 17, 200517.53+5.53Moderate—
18Jan 25, 193817.50+5.50Moderate23,100
19Mar 20, 197917.35+5.35Moderate—
20Sep 27, 201917.35+5.35Moderate26,300
21Dec 3, 198317.17+5.17Moderate—
22May 18, 202017.12+5.12Moderate25,500
23May 12, 196616.74+4.74Moderate—
24Apr 25, 195016.67+4.67Moderate20,600
25Jan 13, 197516.53+4.53Moderate—
26Feb 21, 193716.50+4.50Moderate—
27Feb 5, 198616.50+4.50Moderate—
28Dec 28, 200816.33+4.33Moderate22,900
29Mar 7, 201916.25+4.25Moderate2,670
30May 29, 199616.09+4.09Moderate—
31Mar 15, 194415.83+3.83Moderate18,000
32Sep 23, 192615.80+3.80Moderate18,000
33May 1, 201915.66+3.66Moderate23,400
34Mar 31, 192915.50+3.50Moderate17,100
35Jun 14, 198115.49+3.49Moderate21,400
36Apr 23, 197315.34+3.34Moderate—
37Apr 6, 194715.20+3.20Moderate16,200
38Feb 21, 195515.18+3.18Moderate—
39Feb 7, 201915.14+3.14Moderate7,450
40Jan 23, 199915.13+3.13Moderate—
41Oct 16, 201715.10+3.10Moderate19,100
42Jun 3, 197014.98+2.98Moderate—
43Jun 16, 201514.85+2.85Moderate18,400
44Apr 18, 196014.83+2.83Moderate—
45Jun 5, 200214.65+2.65Moderate16,900
46Mar 21, 196514.61+2.61Moderate—
47Jun 15, 197214.58+2.58Moderate—
48Feb 9, 200114.58+2.58Moderate13,900
49Jul 9, 195114.55+2.55Moderate14,000
50Mar 20, 196214.52+2.52Moderate—

The worst floods along the Fox River

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

July 19, 1996: 24.47 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Fox River

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

Flood gauges on the Fox River
AlgonquinIL3.04.50 ft, Apr 1, 191612
Algonquin tailwaterIL9.514.00 ft, Jul 5, 19386
BurlingtonWI11.016.15 ft, Jul 13, 20171
Dayton this gaugeIL12.036.47 ft, Jan 25, 19605
ElginIL713.0713.11 ft, Jul 24, 20170
Fox LakeIL6.08.12 ft, Apr 5, 19606
Lake VillaIL6.08.90 ft, Jul 4, 19387
McHenry (Stratton Lock and Dam) tailwaterIL4.09.00 ft, Jul 5, 19386
MontgomeryIL13.516.50 ft, Jul 18, 19961
RochesterWI6.06.29 ft, Apr 21, 20260
South Elgin DamIL14.515.04 ft, Apr 18, 20130
WaukeshaWI6.08.85 ft, Jun 9, 20080
Yorkville (Palmer Dam)IL15.521.00 ft, Jul 18, 19961
AntiochIL6.08.34 ft, Apr 5, 19606
JohnsburgIL6.58.90 ft, Jul 4, 19382
New MunsterWI11.017.47 ft, Jul 13, 20175

Other gauges in LaSalle County

Flood gauges in LaSalle County
Marseilles Lock (tailwater)467.0476.72 ft, Apr 19, 20130
Ottawa463.0473.72 ft, Apr 19, 20134
Starved Rock Lock (tailwater)450.0467.81 ft, Apr 19, 20133
La Salle20.034.44 ft, Apr 20, 20139
Leonore16.030.25 ft, Apr 18, 20132

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DAYI2, 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.