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Vermilion River (N-IL) near Leonore

Highest listed crest 30.25 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft51 crests since 1972

The Vermilion River (N-IL) near Leonore crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1972 to 2021. The highest, 30.25 ft on April 18, 2013, was major flooding, 14.25 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.25 ft
April 18, 2013; 38,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
April 30, 2020
20.89 ft, minor flooding
Location
LaSalle County
Near Streator (7.8 mi), Ottawa (11.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Vermilion River (N-IL) near Leonore
Action stage15.51Oct 31, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.023Apr 30, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.018May 2, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.02Apr 18, 2013Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1972 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Vermilion River (N-IL) near Leonore, 1972 to 2021 101520253035ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft Dec 31, 1972: 20.00 ft, minor flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1974: 20.57 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1975: 14.31 ft, below flood stage; 8,370 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1975: 18.23 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1976: 17.87 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1978: 15.39 ft, below flood stage; 9,650 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1979: 23.46 ft, moderate flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1980: 22.25 ft, moderate flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1981: 20.12 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1982: 16.44 ft, minor floodingDec 4, 1982: 27.13 ft, major flooding; 31,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 23.05 ft, moderate flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1985: 21.63 ft, moderate flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1986: 22.23 ft, moderate flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1989: 16.42 ft, minor flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1990: 21.67 ft, moderate flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1990: 23.17 ft, moderate flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1993: 19.42 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1993: 17.68 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1995: 20.92 ft, minor flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1996: 21.02 ft, moderate flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 22.50 ft, moderate flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1998: 20.69 ft, minor flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1999: 17.34 ft, minor flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2001: 21.17 ft, moderate flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2002: 22.90 ft, moderate flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2004: 16.57 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 22.79 ft, moderate flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2006: 13.99 ft, below flood stage; 7,790 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2007: 22.75 ft, moderate flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2008: 25.22 ft, moderate flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2008: 24.30 ft, moderate flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2009: 23.47 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2009: 19.85 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2011: 16.88 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2012: 17.01 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 30.25 ft, major flooding; 38,900 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 25.10 ft, moderate flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2016: 15.15 ft, below flood stage; 873 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2016: 15.23 ft, below flood stage; 5,390 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 18.38 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 17.33 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2018: 15.43 ft, below flood stage; 9,630 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2018: 17.99 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2019: 20.80 ft, minor flooding; 8,920 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 24.50 ft, moderate flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2019: 15.62 ft, action stage; 9,870 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2020: 16.83 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2020: 16.58 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2020: 20.89 ft, minor flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2021: 14.54 ft, below flood stage; 3,810 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.25 ft, Apr 18, 2013 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Vermilion River (N-IL) near Leonore 1970s: 5 1980s: 8 1990s: 9 9 2000s: 9 2010s: 9 2020s: 3 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Vermilion River (N-IL) near Leonore
1Apr 18, 201330.25+14.25Major38,900
2Dec 4, 198227.13+11.13Major31,800
3Jan 9, 200825.22+9.22Moderate26,900
4Dec 29, 201525.10+9.10Moderate26,200
5May 2, 201924.50+8.50Moderate24,800
6Sep 15, 200824.30+8.30Moderate24,700
7May 16, 200923.47+7.47Moderate22,900
8Mar 5, 197923.46+7.46Moderate21,200
9Nov 28, 199023.17+7.17Moderate23,300
10Feb 14, 198423.05+7.05Moderate23,100
11May 13, 200222.90+6.90Moderate21,700
12Jan 14, 200522.79+6.79Moderate21,500
13Mar 24, 200722.75+6.75Moderate21,400
14Feb 21, 199722.50+6.50Moderate20,800
15Jun 2, 198022.25+6.25Moderate19,400
16Oct 5, 198622.23+6.23Moderate21,400
17Mar 12, 199021.67+5.67Moderate20,300
18Nov 19, 198521.63+5.63Moderate20,200
19Jun 6, 200121.17+5.17Moderate18,200
20May 29, 199621.02+5.02Moderate18,100
21May 25, 199520.92+4.92Minor17,700
22Apr 30, 202020.89+4.89Minor17,600
23Feb 5, 201920.80+4.80Minor8,920
24May 9, 199820.69+4.69Minor17,300
25Jun 23, 197420.57+4.57Minor17,400
26Aug 16, 198120.12+4.12Minor16,100
27Dec 31, 197220.00+4.00Minor16,500
28Dec 26, 200919.85+3.85Minor15,800
29Jan 6, 199319.42+3.42Minor16,100
30May 1, 201718.38+2.38Minor13,600
31Feb 18, 197518.23+2.23Minor—
32Jun 23, 201817.99+1.99Minor13,000
33Mar 6, 197617.87+1.87Minor13,000
34Oct 18, 199317.68+1.68Minor11,500
35Jun 15, 199917.34+1.34Minor11,900
36Feb 21, 201817.33+1.33Minor12,100
37May 7, 201217.01+1.01Minor11,500
38Apr 23, 201116.88+0.88Minor11,300
39Jan 12, 202016.83+0.83Minor11,400
40Apr 26, 202016.58+0.58Minor11,100
41Jun 1, 200416.57+0.57Minor10,800
42May 28, 198216.44+0.44Minor—
43Sep 8, 198916.42+0.42Minor11,600
44Oct 31, 201915.62−0.38Action9,870
45Jun 12, 201815.43−0.57Below flood stage9,630
46Sep 18, 197815.39−0.61Below flood stage9,650
47Sep 10, 201615.23−0.77Below flood stage5,390
48May 11, 201615.15−0.85Below flood stage873
49Feb 25, 202114.54−1.46Below flood stage3,810
50Jan 11, 197514.31−1.69Below flood stage8,370

Other gauges in LaSalle County

Flood gauges in LaSalle County
Dayton12.036.47 ft, Jan 25, 19605
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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LNRI2, 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.