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Nippersink Creek at Wonder Lake

Highest listed crest 14.30 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft15 crests since 1967

The Nippersink Creek at Wonder Lake crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 15 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1967 to 2024. The highest, 14.30 ft on June 11, 1967, was major flooding, 5.30 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Nippersink Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.30 ft
June 11, 1967
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
1
101st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 17, 2020
9.48 ft, minor flooding
Location
McHenry County
Near McHenry (5.2 mi), Woodstock (6.2 mi), Fox Lake (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, Nippersink Creek at Wonder Lake
Action stage8.52Aug 30, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.05May 17, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.02Sep 13, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.01Jun 11, 1967Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

15 crests from 1967 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Nippersink Creek at Wonder Lake, 1967 to 2024 6810121416ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jun 11, 1967: 14.30 ft, major floodingMay 21, 1996: 7.94 ft, below flood stage; 919 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 9.20 ft, minor flooding; 1,660 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1999: 11.63 ft, moderate flooding; 3,690 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2000: 10.89 ft, minor flooding; 2,990 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2001: 8.08 ft, below flood stage; 981 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 9.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,090 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2015: 8.72 ft, action stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2017: 8.01 ft, below flood stage; 873 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 9.67 ft, minor flooding; 1,870 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 11.16 ft, moderate flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 9.48 ft, minor flooding; 1,400 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2020: 8.67 ft, action stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2024: 8.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2024: 8.12 ft, below flood stage; 912 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.30 ft, Jun 11, 1967 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Nippersink Creek at Wonder Lake 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 3 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Nippersink Creek at Wonder Lake
1Jun 11, 196714.30+5.30Major—
2Jun 13, 199911.63+2.63Moderate3,690
3Sep 13, 201911.16+2.16Moderate2,180
4Jun 13, 200010.89+1.89Minor2,990
5Apr 18, 20139.92+0.92Minor2,090
6Feb 20, 20189.67+0.67Minor1,870
7May 17, 20209.48+0.48Minor1,400
8Feb 21, 19979.20+0.20Minor1,660
9Jul 19, 20158.72−0.28Action1,250
10Aug 30, 20208.67−0.33Action1,090
11Apr 3, 20248.43−0.57Below flood stage1,010
12Jun 23, 20248.12−0.88Below flood stage912
13Feb 25, 20018.08−0.92Below flood stage981
14Jul 22, 20178.01−0.99Below flood stage873
15May 21, 19967.94−1.06Below flood stage919

The worst floods along the Nippersink Creek

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

June 11, 1967: 14.30 ft here, major flooding

June 13, 1999: 11.63 ft here, moderate flooding

September 13, 2019: 11.16 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Nippersink Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Nippersink Creek
Wonder Lake this gaugeIL9.014.30 ft, Jun 11, 19671
Spring GroveIL11.014.26 ft, Sep 26, 19860

Other gauges in McHenry County

Flood gauges in McHenry County
Mchenry7.07.48 ft, Jun 26, 20130
Algonquin3.04.50 ft, Apr 1, 191612
Algonquin tailwater9.514.00 ft, Jul 5, 19386
McHenry (Stratton Lock and Dam) tailwater4.09.00 ft, Jul 5, 19386
Johnsburg6.58.90 ft, Jul 4, 19382
Marengo12.013.06 ft, Sep 4, 20180
Spring Grove11.014.26 ft, Sep 26, 19860

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WNNI2, 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.