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Michigamme River near Crystal Falls

Highest listed crest 10.73 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft78 crests since 1945

The Michigamme River near Crystal Falls crested above flood stage 21 times among the 78 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1945 to 2024. The highest, 10.73 ft on April 28, 1960, was moderate flooding, 2.73 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.73 ft
April 28, 1960; 7,260 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
0
21 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 26, 2019
8.83 ft, minor flooding
Location
Iron County
Michigan

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Michigamme River near Crystal Falls
Action stage7.015Apr 19, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.019Apr 26, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.02Apr 28, 1960Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

78 crests from 1945 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Michigamme River near Crystal Falls, 1945 to 2024 4681012ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Apr 11, 1945: 7.34 ft, action stage; 2,930 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1946: 5.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1947: 6.66 ft, below flood stage; 2,390 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1949: 7.26 ft, action stage; 3,020 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1950: 9.40 ft, minor flooding; 5,590 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1951: 9.45 ft, minor flooding; 5,590 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1951: 6.49 ft, below flood stage; 2,230 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1953: 9.32 ft, minor flooding; 5,440 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1954: 10.11 ft, moderate flooding; 6,340 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1955: 8.57 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1956: 6.00 ft, below flood stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1957: 4.87 ft, below flood stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1958: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1959: 6.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1960: 10.73 ft, moderate flooding; 7,260 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1961: 8.00 ft, minor flooding; 3,760 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1962: 5.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1964: 4.92 ft, below flood stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1965: 8.64 ft, minor flooding; 4,510 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1966: 6.72 ft, below flood stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1967: 8.47 ft, minor flooding; 4,300 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1968: 7.39 ft, action stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1969: 6.73 ft, below flood stage; 2,520 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1970: 7.73 ft, action stage; 3,460 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1971: 6.58 ft, below flood stage; 2,400 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1972: 7.25 ft, action stage; 2,960 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1973: 8.38 ft, minor flooding; 4,200 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1974: 5.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1975: 8.08 ft, minor flooding; 3,850 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1976: 9.33 ft, minor flooding; 5,360 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1977: 6.64 ft, below flood stage; 2,450 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1978: 6.90 ft, below flood stage; 2,660 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1979: 7.43 ft, action stage; 3,140 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1979: 6.22 ft, below flood stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1981: 8.03 ft, minor flooding; 3,790 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1982: 8.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,580 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1983: 7.65 ft, action stage; 3,380 cubic feet per secondFeb 29, 1984: 6.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1985: 9.98 ft, minor flooding; 6,210 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1986: 6.43 ft, below flood stage; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1987: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,530 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1988: 5.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1989: 8.13 ft, minor flooding; 3,920 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1990: 5.12 ft, below flood stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondOct 27, 1990: 6.15 ft, below flood stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1992: 7.33 ft, action stage; 3,110 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1992: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1994: 6.00 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1995: 6.50 ft, below flood stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1996: 8.87 ft, minor flooding; 4,760 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1997: 6.71 ft, below flood stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1998: 5.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,530 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1999: 7.03 ft, action stage; 2,830 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2000: 5.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2001: 5.48 ft, below flood stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2002: 8.91 ft, minor flooding; 4,800 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2003: 7.37 ft, action stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2004: 7.76 ft, action stage; 3,500 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2005: 5.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2006: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 1,710 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2007: 5.39 ft, below flood stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2008: 6.19 ft, below flood stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2009: 4.92 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2010: 5.12 ft, below flood stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2011: 6.36 ft, below flood stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2012: 4.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2013: 7.04 ft, action stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2014: 8.62 ft, minor flooding; 4,450 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2015: 7.32 ft, action stage; 3,140 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2016: 5.85 ft, below flood stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2017: 6.36 ft, below flood stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2017: 6.13 ft, below flood stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2019: 8.83 ft, minor flooding; 4,700 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2020: 6.87 ft, below flood stageOct 22, 2020: 5.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2022: 7.17 ft, action stage; 3,040 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2023: 7.95 ft, action stage; 3,720 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2024: 5.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,790 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.73 ft, Apr 28, 1960 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Michigamme River near Crystal Falls 1940s: 0 1950s: 6 6 1960s: 4 1970s: 3 1980s: 4 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 0 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 78 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Michigamme River near Crystal Falls
1Apr 28, 196010.73+2.73Moderate7,260
2May 3, 195410.11+2.11Moderate6,340
3Apr 26, 19859.98+1.98Minor6,210
4May 5, 19519.45+1.45Minor5,590
5May 13, 19509.40+1.40Minor5,590
6Apr 22, 19769.33+1.33Minor5,360
7Jul 4, 19539.32+1.32Minor5,440
8Jun 2, 19589.14+1.14Minor5,300
9Apr 21, 20028.91+0.91Minor4,800
10May 22, 19968.87+0.87Minor4,760
11Apr 26, 20198.83+0.83Minor4,700
12May 7, 19828.70+0.70Minor4,580
13May 10, 19658.64+0.64Minor4,510
14May 12, 20148.62+0.62Minor4,450
15May 4, 19558.57+0.57Minor4,380
16Apr 20, 19678.47+0.47Minor4,300
17May 10, 19738.38+0.38Minor4,200
18Jun 10, 19898.13+0.13Minor3,920
19May 8, 19758.08+0.08Minor3,850
20Jun 15, 19818.03+0.03Minor3,790
21May 16, 19618.000.00Minor3,760
22Apr 19, 20237.95−0.05Action3,720
23Apr 22, 20047.76−0.24Action3,500
24Jun 2, 19707.73−0.27Action3,460
25Jun 2, 19837.65−0.35Action3,380
26May 9, 19797.43−0.57Action3,140
27Sep 11, 19687.39−0.61Action3,100
28May 15, 20037.37−0.63Action3,100
29Apr 11, 19457.34−0.66Action2,930
30Jul 4, 19927.33−0.67Action3,110
31May 28, 20157.32−0.68Action3,140
32Jul 7, 19497.26−0.74Action3,020
33May 15, 19727.25−0.75Action2,960
34Apr 23, 20227.17−0.83Action3,040
35May 9, 20137.04−0.96Action2,800
36May 8, 19997.03−0.97Action2,830
37Sep 19, 19786.90−1.10Below flood stage2,660
38May 5, 20206.87−1.13Below flood stage—
39May 6, 19696.73−1.27Below flood stage2,520
40Jun 8, 19666.72−1.28Below flood stage2,510
41May 19, 19976.71−1.29Below flood stage2,540
42May 19, 19476.66−1.34Below flood stage2,390
43Apr 24, 19776.64−1.36Below flood stage2,450
44May 5, 19716.58−1.42Below flood stage2,400
45May 16, 19956.50−1.50Below flood stage2,350
46Oct 3, 19516.49−1.51Below flood stage2,230
47Apr 29, 19866.43−1.57Below flood stage2,280
48May 10, 20116.36−1.64Below flood stage2,220
49Apr 26, 20176.36−1.64Below flood stage2,370
50Oct 28, 19796.22−1.78Below flood stage2,120

The worst floods along the Michigamme River

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

April 26, 1985: 9.98 ft here, minor flooding

  • RepublicMI · Apr 24, 1985 · 14.02 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Michigamme River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Michigamme River
Crystal Falls this gaugeMI8.010.73 ft, Apr 28, 19600
RepublicMI9.014.02 ft, Apr 24, 19852
Witch LakeMI9.013.10 ft, Apr 20, 20022

Other gauges in Iron County

Flood gauges in Iron County
Crystal Falls7.09.82 ft, Apr 25, 19602

Iron County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Michigan

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CRFM4, 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.