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Michigamme River near Witch Lake

Highest listed crest 13.10 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft36 crests since 1965

The Michigamme River near Witch Lake crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 36 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2026. The highest, 13.10 ft on April 20, 2002, was major flooding, 4.10 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Michigamme River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.10 ft
April 20, 2002; 4,414 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
2
14th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
April 20, 2026
12.03 ft, major flooding
Location
Dickinson 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 Witch Lake
Action stage8.55Apr 27, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.07May 13, 2014Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.05Apr 19, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.02Apr 20, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

36 crests from 1965 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Michigamme River near Witch Lake, 1965 to 2026 468101214ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft May 11, 1965: 11.60 ft, moderate flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1966: 8.63 ft, action stage; 2,600 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1967: 9.85 ft, minor flooding; 3,310 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1968: 6.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1969: 9.55 ft, minor flooding; 3,130 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1970: 7.57 ft, below flood stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1975: 9.90 ft, minor flooding; 3,340 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1976: 11.01 ft, moderate flooding; 4,030 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1977: 8.53 ft, action stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1978: 7.23 ft, below flood stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1979: 11.22 ft, moderate flooding; 4,150 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1980: 7.05 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1997: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 2,420 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1998: 7.05 ft, below flood stageMay 29, 1999: 7.10 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2000: 5.86 ft, below flood stage; 1,255 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2001: 8.60 ft, action stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2002: 13.10 ft, major flooding; 4,414 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2003: 7.25 ft, below flood stage; 1,848 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2004: 9.78 ft, minor flooding; 3,215 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2005: 7.99 ft, below flood stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2006: 7.99 ft, below flood stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2007: 6.48 ft, below flood stage; 1,545 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2008: 9.35 ft, minor flooding; 3,003 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2009: 7.03 ft, below flood stage; 1,782 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2010: 5.18 ft, below flood stage; 974 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 9.58 ft, minor flooding; 3,130 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2014: 9.29 ft, minor flooding; 2,964 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2019: 11.00 ft, moderate flooding; 3,783 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2020: 8.02 ft, below flood stageApr 13, 2021: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2022: 8.74 ft, action stage; 2,507 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2023: 11.97 ft, moderate flooding; 4,397 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2024: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2025: 8.75 ft, action stage; 2,512 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2026: 12.03 ft, major flooding; 4,435 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.10 ft, Apr 20, 2002 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Michigamme River near Witch Lake 1960s: 3 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 2 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, Michigamme River near Witch Lake
1Apr 20, 200213.10+4.10Major4,414
2Apr 20, 202612.03+3.03Major4,435
3Apr 19, 202311.97+2.97Moderate4,397
4May 11, 196511.60+2.60Moderate4,360
5Apr 28, 197911.22+2.22Moderate4,150
6Apr 21, 197611.01+2.01Moderate4,030
7Apr 27, 201911.00+2.00Moderate3,783
8May 7, 19759.90+0.90Minor3,340
9Apr 19, 19679.85+0.85Minor3,310
10Apr 22, 20049.78+0.78Minor3,215
11May 6, 20139.58+0.58Minor3,130
12Apr 24, 19699.55+0.55Minor3,130
13Apr 26, 20089.35+0.35Minor3,003
14May 13, 20149.29+0.29Minor2,964
15Apr 27, 20258.75−0.25Action2,512
16Apr 28, 20228.74−0.26Action2,507
17Apr 27, 19668.63−0.37Action2,600
18Apr 26, 20018.60−0.40Action2,580
19Apr 22, 19778.53−0.47Action2,540
20May 3, 19978.27−0.73Below flood stage2,420
21May 5, 20208.02−0.98Below flood stage—
22Apr 12, 20057.99−1.01Below flood stage2,140
23Apr 17, 20067.99−1.01Below flood stage2,140
24Jun 1, 19707.57−1.43Below flood stage2,060
25Apr 23, 20037.25−1.75Below flood stage1,848
26Sep 15, 19787.23−1.77Below flood stage1,900
27May 29, 19997.10−1.90Below flood stage1,830
28Apr 26, 19807.05−1.95Below flood stage1,800
29Apr 4, 19987.05−1.95Below flood stage—
30May 3, 20097.03−1.97Below flood stage1,782
31Sep 10, 19686.90−2.10Below flood stage1,730
32Apr 4, 20076.48−2.52Below flood stage1,545
33Apr 13, 20215.91−3.09Below flood stage1,160
34Apr 19, 20245.91−3.09Below flood stage1,160
35Mar 29, 20005.86−3.14Below flood stage1,255
36Mar 22, 20105.18−3.82Below flood stage974

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 20, 2002: 13.10 ft here, major flooding

April 20, 2026: 12.03 ft here, major flooding

  • RepublicMI · Apr 20, 2026 · 11.80 ft · Moderate

April 19, 2023: 11.97 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RepublicMI · Apr 18, 2023 · 11.75 ft · Moderate

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 FallsMI8.010.73 ft, Apr 28, 19600
RepublicMI9.014.02 ft, Apr 24, 19852
Witch Lake this gaugeMI9.013.10 ft, Apr 20, 20022

Other gauges in Dickinson County

Flood gauges in Dickinson County
Vulcan15.017.72 ft, Apr 19, 20020

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WLKM4, 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.