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Patoka River at Princeton

Highest listed crest 24.89 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft27 crests since 1990

The Patoka River at Princeton crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 27 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1990 to 2026. The highest, 24.89 ft on May 4, 2011, was major flooding, 6.89 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Patoka River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.89 ft
May 4, 2011; 15,732 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
8
17th of 206 gauges in Indiana
Most recent flood crest
July 3, 2026
23.97 ft, major flooding
Location
Gibson County
Indiana

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Patoka River at Princeton
Action stage16.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.07Apr 6, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.012Jan 18, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.08Jul 3, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

27 crests from 1990 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Patoka River at Princeton, 1990 to 2026 1820222426ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft May 23, 1990: 22.42 ft, moderate flooding; 8,650 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1993: 21.64 ft, moderate flooding; 7,150 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1995: 21.20 ft, moderate flooding; 6,560 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1996: 24.35 ft, major flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1998: 20.18 ft, moderate floodingFeb 1, 1999: 18.92 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 2000: 19.53 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 2002: 23.17 ft, major flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2003: 18.32 ft, minor flooding; 3,930 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2005: 22.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 16, 2006: 24.00 ft, major flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2007: 20.48 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 2008: 24.11 ft, major flooding; 13,136 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2011: 24.89 ft, major flooding; 15,732 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2013: 21.08 ft, moderate flooding; 6,382 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2014: 22.33 ft, moderate flooding; 8,513 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2015: 22.57 ft, moderate flooding; 9,051 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2016: 18.19 ft, minor flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2017: 24.30 ft, major flooding; 13,696 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2018: 22.79 ft, moderate flooding; 9,577 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2019: 22.24 ft, moderate flooding; 7,007 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2020: 20.83 ft, moderate flooding; 6,053 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2022: 19.27 ft, minor flooding; 4,535 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2023: 18.69 ft, minor flooding; 4,092 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2023: 19.23 ft, minor flooding; 4,444 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2025: 23.19 ft, major flooding; 9,000 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2026: 23.97 ft, major flooding; 9,945 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.89 ft, May 4, 2011 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Patoka River at Princeton 1990s: 6 2000s: 7 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 6 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Patoka River at Princeton
1May 4, 201124.89+6.89Major15,732
2May 4, 199624.35+6.35Major13,900
3May 6, 201724.30+6.30Major13,696
4Mar 25, 200824.11+6.11Major13,136
5Mar 16, 200624.00+6.00Major12,800
6Jul 3, 202623.97+5.97Major9,945
7Apr 11, 202523.19+5.19Major9,000
8May 17, 200223.17+5.17Major10,500
9Mar 2, 201822.79+4.79Moderate9,577
10Jan 11, 200522.60+4.60Moderate—
11Apr 10, 201522.57+4.57Moderate9,051
12May 23, 199022.42+4.42Moderate8,650
13Apr 10, 201422.33+4.33Moderate8,513
14Jun 24, 201922.24+4.24Moderate7,007
15Nov 21, 199321.64+3.64Moderate7,150
16May 25, 199521.20+3.20Moderate6,560
17Dec 27, 201321.08+3.08Moderate6,382
18Jan 18, 202020.83+2.83Moderate6,053
19Jan 21, 200720.48+2.48Moderate—
20May 9, 199820.18+2.18Moderate—
21Feb 27, 200019.53+1.53Minor—
22Mar 1, 202219.27+1.27Minor4,535
23Apr 6, 202319.23+1.23Minor4,444
24Feb 1, 199918.92+0.92Minor—
25Mar 12, 202318.69+0.69Minor4,092
26Mar 2, 200318.32+0.32Minor3,930
27Jan 5, 201618.19+0.19Minor3,860

The worst floods along the Patoka River

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

May 4, 2011: 24.89 ft here, major flooding

  • Patoka LakeIN · May 3, 2011 · 549.70 ft · Moderate · its highest

Gauges on the Patoka River

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

Flood gauges on the Patoka River
Patoka LakeIN548.0549.70 ft, May 3, 20110
Princeton this gaugeIN18.024.89 ft, May 4, 20118

Other gauges in Gibson County

Flood gauges in Gibson County
Hazleton16.031.70 ft, Jan 22, 193713
Old U.S. Highway 41 located at Hazleton16.029.83 ft, Apr 12, 20252

Gibson County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Indiana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PNTI3, 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.