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Kishwaukee River near Perryville

Highest listed crest 23.54 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft83 crests since 1940

The Kishwaukee River near Perryville crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 83 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2024. The highest, 23.54 ft on July 18, 1996, was major flooding, 11.54 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.54 ft
July 18, 1996; 24,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
1
101st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
July 16, 2024
12.64 ft, minor flooding
Location
Winnebago County
Near Rockford (5.6 mi), Belvidere (7.5 mi), Loves Park (9.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kishwaukee River near Perryville
Action stage11.53Jul 19, 1990The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.053Jul 16, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.015Apr 19, 2013Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.01Jul 18, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

83 crests from 1940 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kishwaukee River near Perryville, 1940 to 2024 10152025ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Jun 18, 1940: 10.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,240 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1941: 12.84 ft, minor flooding; 5,840 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1943: 17.43 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1944: 18.63 ft, moderate flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1945: 11.33 ft, below flood stage; 4,360 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1946: 19.50 ft, moderate flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1947: 10.62 ft, below flood stage; 3,990 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1948: 18.78 ft, moderate flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1949: 17.25 ft, minor flooding; 9,500 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1950: 15.08 ft, minor flooding; 8,670 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1951: 17.03 ft, minor flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1952: 16.45 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1954: 14.82 ft, minor flooding; 8,190 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1955: 12.23 ft, minor floodingJan 22, 1957: 10.17 ft, below flood stageMar 1, 1958: 12.72 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1959: 14.35 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1960: 19.05 ft, moderate flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 1961: 12.41 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 1962: 16.20 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1965: 13.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 1966: 17.04 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 11.50 ft, action stage; 4,550 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1968: 13.04 ft, minor flooding; 5,940 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1969: 17.09 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1970: 12.86 ft, minor flooding; 5,870 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1971: 19.03 ft, moderate flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1972: 15.07 ft, minor flooding; 9,080 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 19.65 ft, moderate flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1974: 18.27 ft, moderate flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 14.23 ft, minor flooding; 8,060 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 15.49 ft, minor flooding; 9,520 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1978: 18.39 ft, moderate flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1979: 20.48 ft, moderate flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1980: 11.39 ft, below flood stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1981: 10.14 ft, below flood stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1982: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 7,990 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1983: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 14.68 ft, minor flooding; 8,820 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1985: 13.82 ft, minor flooding; 7,970 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1986: 13.75 ft, minor flooding; 7,890 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1987: 14.45 ft, minor flooding; 8,720 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1988: 16.70 ft, minor floodingAug 5, 1989: 11.68 ft, action stage; 5,570 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1990: 11.73 ft, action stage; 5,240 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1991: 12.24 ft, minor flooding; 6,170 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 16.62 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1994: 20.71 ft, moderate flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1996: 18.21 ft, moderate flooding; 14,550 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1996: 23.54 ft, major flooding; 24,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 19.76 ft, moderate flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1998: 11.37 ft, below flood stage; 5,480 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1999: 18.96 ft, moderate flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2000: 15.92 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2001: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 8,810 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2002: 13.34 ft, minor flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 13.71 ft, minor flooding; 8,420 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2005: 12.27 ft, minor floodingFeb 15, 2005: 10.93 ft, below flood stage; 4,630 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2007: 17.56 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2008: 15.07 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2008: 17.83 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2010: 18.16 ft, moderate flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2011: 10.52 ft, below flood stage; 4,530 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2013: 16.16 ft, minor flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 18.19 ft, moderate flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2013: 14.01 ft, minor flooding; 8,820 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2014: 11.38 ft, below flood stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2017: 14.42 ft, minor flooding; 9,670 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2017: 15.37 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 15.43 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 12.29 ft, minor flooding; 6,850 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2018: 14.46 ft, minor flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2018: 12.28 ft, minor flooding; 7,070 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 8,120 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 15.69 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2019: 12.47 ft, minor flooding; 7,320 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2019: 14.69 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2020: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 6,810 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 15.99 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2022: 10.87 ft, below flood stage; 5,010 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2024: 12.51 ft, minor flooding; 7,340 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2024: 12.64 ft, minor flooding; 7,460 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.54 ft, Jul 18, 1996 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kishwaukee River near Perryville 1940s: 6 1950s: 7 1960s: 7 1970s: 9 1980s: 7 1990s: 7 2000s: 8 2010s: 14 14 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

The 50 highest of 83 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kishwaukee River near Perryville
1Jul 18, 199623.54+11.54Major24,200
2Feb 21, 199420.71+8.71Moderate17,100
3Mar 21, 197920.48+8.48Moderate16,700
4Feb 22, 199719.76+7.76Moderate17,400
5Apr 22, 197319.65+7.65Moderate14,800
6Jan 6, 194619.50+7.50Moderate16,400
7Mar 31, 196019.05+7.05Moderate14,100
8Feb 20, 197119.03+7.03Moderate14,200
9Jun 15, 199918.96+6.96Moderate16,300
10Mar 20, 194818.78+6.78Moderate15,200
11Mar 15, 194418.63+6.63Moderate14,800
12Jul 3, 197818.39+6.39Moderate13,000
13May 17, 197418.27+6.27Moderate13,000
14May 29, 199618.21+6.21Moderate14,550
15Apr 19, 201318.19+6.19Moderate15,000
16Jul 25, 201018.16+6.16Moderate15,000
17Dec 29, 200817.83+5.83Minor14,400
18Aug 25, 200717.56+5.56Minor14,000
19Mar 16, 194317.43+5.43Minor12,600
20Feb 25, 194917.25+5.25Minor9,500
21Jan 23, 196917.09+5.09Minor11,100
22Feb 10, 196617.04+5.04Minor11,300
23Feb 26, 195117.03+5.03Minor11,900
24Jan 31, 198816.70+4.70Minor—
25Mar 24, 199316.62+4.62Minor11,400
26Dec 4, 198316.60+4.60Minor11,300
27Mar 13, 195216.45+4.45Minor10,900
28Mar 20, 196216.20+4.20Minor10,500
29Mar 12, 201316.16+4.16Minor11,900
30May 18, 202015.99+3.99Minor12,400
31Jun 14, 200015.92+3.92Minor11,300
32Mar 14, 201915.69+3.69Minor12,000
33Mar 5, 197615.49+3.49Minor9,520
34Feb 21, 201815.43+3.43Minor11,100
35Jul 23, 201715.37+3.37Minor11,000
36Apr 26, 195015.08+3.08Minor8,670
37Aug 26, 197215.07+3.07Minor9,080
38Mar 3, 200815.07+3.07Minor10,300
39Oct 13, 195414.82+2.82Minor8,190
40Sep 14, 201914.69+2.69Minor10,500
41Feb 14, 198414.68+2.68Minor8,820
42Sep 5, 201814.46+2.46Minor10,000
43Aug 15, 198714.45+2.45Minor8,720
44Jun 30, 201714.42+2.42Minor9,670
45Mar 1, 195914.35+2.35Minor—
46Mar 19, 197514.23+2.23Minor8,060
47Jun 27, 201314.01+2.01Minor8,820
48Mar 14, 198214.00+2.00Minor7,990
49Feb 25, 200114.00+2.00Minor8,810
50Mar 5, 198513.82+1.82Minor7,970

The worst floods along the Kishwaukee River

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

February 21, 1994: 20.71 ft here, moderate flooding

  • BelvidereIL · Feb 20, 1994 · 14.19 ft · Major

March 21, 1979: 20.48 ft here, moderate flooding

  • BelvidereIL · Mar 20, 1979 · 12.76 ft · Major

February 22, 1997: 19.76 ft here, moderate flooding

  • BelvidereIL · Feb 22, 1997 · 11.74 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Kishwaukee River

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

Flood gauges on the Kishwaukee River
MarengoIL12.013.06 ft, Sep 4, 20180
BelvidereIL9.016.90 ft, Jan 24, 193813
Perryville this gaugeIL12.023.54 ft, Jul 18, 19961

Other gauges in Winnebago County

Flood gauges in Winnebago County
Shirland12.018.08 ft, Mar 25, 197511
Latham Park9.014.70 ft, Mar 26, 19753
Rockford (Auburn Street)6.010.00 ft, Apr 20, 18811
Rockford (Fordam Dam)4.06.50 ft, Apr 20, 18811
Rockton10.015.54 ft, Mar 25, 19754

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PRYI2, 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.