Illinois River at Starved Rock Lock (tailwater)
Highest listed crest 467.81 ftFlood stage 450.0 ft18 crests since 1943
The Illinois River at Starved Rock Lock (tailwater) crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1943 to 2020. The highest, 467.81 ft on April 19, 2013, was major flooding, 17.81 feet above flood stage. 8 other gauges on the Illinois River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.
The gauge
- Highest listed crest
- 467.81 ft
- April 19, 2013
- Flood stage
- 450.0 ft
- Major flooding from 465.0 ft
- Crests at major
- 3
- 72nd of 177 gauges in Illinois
- Most recent flood crest
- May 19, 2020
- 465.86 ft, major flooding
Flood stages
The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.
| Action stage | 449.0 | 0 | — |
| Flood stage (minor) | 450.0 | 0 | — |
| Moderate flood stage | 460.0 | 15 | May 3, 2019 |
| Major flood stage | 465.0 | 3 | May 19, 2020 |
Every listed crest
18 crests from 1943 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.
Crests at or above flood stage, by decade
- 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.
- 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
| 1 | Apr 19, 2013 | 467.81 | +17.81 | Major |
| 2 | Sep 16, 2008 | 467.31 | +17.31 | Major |
| 3 | May 19, 2020 | 465.86 | +15.86 | Major |
| 4 | Dec 5, 1982 | 464.70 | +14.70 | Moderate |
| 5 | May 3, 2019 | 464.61 | +14.61 | Moderate |
| 6 | Feb 22, 1997 | 464.60 | +14.60 | Moderate |
| 7 | Mar 11, 2009 | 464.31 | +14.31 | Moderate |
| 8 | Feb 22, 2018 | 463.65 | +13.65 | Moderate |
| 9 | Mar 5, 1985 | 463.56 | +13.56 | Moderate |
| 10 | Mar 21, 1979 | 463.40 | +13.40 | Moderate |
| 11 | Aug 25, 2007 | 463.27 | +13.27 | Moderate |
| 12 | May 16, 1970 | 462.40 | +12.40 | Moderate |
| 13 | Dec 29, 2008 | 462.26 | +12.26 | Moderate |
| 14 | May 22, 1943 | 462.20 | +12.20 | Moderate |
| 15 | Dec 30, 2015 | 461.82 | +11.82 | Moderate |
| 16 | May 14, 2002 | 461.42 | +11.42 | Moderate |
| 17 | Jan 15, 2005 | 461.40 | +11.40 | Moderate |
| 18 | May 2, 2017 | 460.14 | +10.14 | Moderate |
The worst floods along the Illinois River
For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Illinois River that crested above flood stage within a week.
April 19, 2013: 467.81 ft here, major flooding
- OttawaIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 473.72 ft · Major · its highest
- Peoria Lock and DamIL · Apr 23, 2013 · 456.57 ft · Major · its highest
- La SalleIL · Apr 20, 2013 · 34.44 ft · Major · its highest
- HenryIL · Apr 22, 2013 · 32.94 ft · Major · its highest
- PeoriaIL · Apr 23, 2013 · 29.35 ft · Major · its highest
- HavanaIL · Apr 25, 2013 · 27.78 ft · Major · its highest
- MorrisIL · Apr 19, 2013 · 24.91 ft · Major · its highest
- Marseilles Lock (tailwater)IL · Apr 19, 2013 · 476.72 ft · Minor · its highest
September 16, 2008: 467.31 ft here, major flooding
- OttawaIL · Sep 16, 2008 · 472.21 ft · Major
- La SalleIL · Sep 16, 2008 · 33.79 ft · Major
- MorrisIL · Sep 16, 2008 · 24.84 ft · Major
- HavanaIL · Sep 23, 2008 · 23.54 ft · Major
- Peoria Lock and DamIL · Sep 19, 2008 · 454.30 ft · Moderate
- HardinIL · Sep 19, 2008 · 31.68 ft · Moderate
- HenryIL · Sep 19, 2008 · 30.98 ft · Moderate
- PeoriaIL · Sep 20, 2008 · 27.06 ft · Moderate
- Marseilles Lock (tailwater)IL · Sep 16, 2008 · 475.89 ft · Minor
May 19, 2020: 465.86 ft here, major flooding
- OttawaIL · May 19, 2020 · 472.59 ft · Major
- La SalleIL · May 20, 2020 · 33.14 ft · Major
- HenryIL · May 21, 2020 · 31.62 ft · Major
- HavanaIL · May 26, 2020 · 25.19 ft · Major
- MorrisIL · May 19, 2020 · 24.80 ft · Major
- Peoria Lock and DamIL · May 22, 2020 · 454.89 ft · Moderate
- PeoriaIL · May 22, 2020 · 27.91 ft · Moderate
- BeardstownIL · May 26, 2020 · 26.66 ft · Moderate
- Marseilles Lock (tailwater)IL · May 19, 2020 · 475.84 ft · Minor
Gauges on the Illinois River
Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.
| Beardstown | IL | 29.81 ft, Apr 27, 2013 | 10 |
| Hardin | IL | 42.40 ft, Aug 3, 1993 | 20 |
| LaGrange Lock and Dam | IL | 34.66 ft, Jul 2, 2015 | 17 |
| Marseilles Lock (tailwater) | IL | 476.72 ft, Apr 19, 2013 | 0 |
| Meredosia | IL | 28.86 ft, Jul 2, 2015 | 23 |
| Morris | IL | 24.91 ft, Apr 19, 2013 | 12 |
| Ottawa | IL | 473.72 ft, Apr 19, 2013 | 4 |
| Peoria | IL | 29.35 ft, Apr 23, 2013 | 5 |
| Peoria Lock and Dam | IL | 456.57 ft, Apr 23, 2013 | 5 |
| Starved Rock Lock (tailwater) this gauge | IL | 467.81 ft, Apr 19, 2013 | 3 |
| Valley City | IL | 27.00 ft, May 26, 1943 | 17 |
| Havana | IL | 27.78 ft, Apr 25, 2013 | 25 |
| Henry | IL | 32.94 ft, Apr 22, 2013 | 7 |
| La Salle | IL | 34.44 ft, Apr 20, 2013 | 9 |
Other gauges in LaSalle County
| Dayton | 36.47 ft, Jan 25, 1960 | 5 |
| Marseilles Lock (tailwater) | 476.72 ft, Apr 19, 2013 | 0 |
| Ottawa | 473.72 ft, Apr 19, 2013 | 4 |
| La Salle | 34.44 ft, Apr 20, 2013 | 9 |
| Leonore | 30.25 ft, Apr 18, 2013 | 2 |
LaSalle County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois
NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SRDI2, 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.