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Paint River at Crystal Falls

Highest listed crest 9.82 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft52 crests since 1950

The Paint River at Crystal Falls crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 52 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2026. The highest, 9.82 ft on April 25, 1960, was major flooding, 2.82 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.82 ft
April 25, 1960; 10,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.5 ft
Crests at major
2
14th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
April 19, 2026
8.71 ft, moderate 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, Paint River at Crystal Falls
Action stage5.515Apr 23, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.015Apr 26, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.04Apr 19, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.52Apr 17, 2002Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

52 crests from 1950 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Paint River at Crystal Falls, 1950 to 2026 246810ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 9.5 ft May 7, 1950: 7.94 ft, minor flooding; 7,130 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1952: 7.10 ft, minor flooding; 5,810 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1953: 9.45 ft, moderate flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1954: 7.35 ft, minor flooding; 6,170 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1960: 9.82 ft, major flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1965: 7.69 ft, minor flooding; 6,780 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1970: 7.12 ft, minor flooding; 5,870 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1971: 7.01 ft, minor flooding; 5,700 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1972: 7.39 ft, minor flooding; 6,300 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1974: 5.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1975: 8.08 ft, moderate flooding; 3,850 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1976: 5.74 ft, action stage; 3,860 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1977: 6.64 ft, action stage; 2,450 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1978: 6.90 ft, action stage; 2,660 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1979: 7.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,140 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1980: 5.26 ft, below flood stage; 3,240 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1981: 6.04 ft, action stage; 4,280 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1982: 6.78 ft, action stage; 5,330 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1983: 5.54 ft, action stage; 3,580 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1984: 5.12 ft, below flood stage; 2,990 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1985: 7.95 ft, minor flooding; 7,250 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1986: 7.07 ft, minor flooding; 5,790 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1987: 4.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1988: 5.30 ft, below flood stage; 3,240 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1989: 5.20 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1990: 4.11 ft, below flood stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1991: 5.89 ft, action stage; 4,210 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 6.03 ft, action stage; 4,310 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1993: 4.89 ft, below flood stage; 2,730 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1994: 4.49 ft, below flood stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1995: 6.50 ft, action stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1996: 7.89 ft, minor flooding; 7,300 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1997: 6.71 ft, action 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, minor flooding; 2,830 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2000: 5.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2001: 6.37 ft, action stageApr 17, 2002: 9.53 ft, major flooding; 10,490 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2003: 7.37 ft, minor flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2004: 7.76 ft, minor flooding; 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, action stage; 1,710 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2007: 4.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2008: 5.98 ft, action stage; 4,154 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2009: 5.05 ft, below flood stage; 2,890 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2020: 6.69 ft, action stageMar 26, 2021: 5.48 ft, below flood stageApr 26, 2022: 7.10 ft, minor flooding; 5,970 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2023: 8.73 ft, moderate floodingMay 3, 2024: 3.89 ft, below flood stage; 1,374 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2025: 5.80 ft, action stage; 4,061 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2026: 8.71 ft, moderate flooding; 8,871 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.82 ft, Apr 25, 1960 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Paint River at Crystal Falls 1950s: 4 1960s: 2 1970s: 5 5 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 2010s: 0 2020s: 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 52 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Paint River at Crystal Falls
1Apr 25, 19609.82+2.82Major10,900
2Apr 17, 20029.53+2.53Major10,490
3Jul 2, 19539.45+2.45Moderate10,200
4Apr 15, 20238.73+1.73Moderate—
5Apr 19, 20268.71+1.71Moderate8,871
6May 8, 19758.08+1.08Moderate3,850
7Apr 22, 19857.95+0.95Minor7,250
8May 7, 19507.94+0.94Minor7,130
9Apr 26, 19967.89+0.89Minor7,300
10Apr 22, 20047.76+0.76Minor3,500
11May 10, 19657.69+0.69Minor6,780
12May 9, 19797.43+0.43Minor3,140
13Apr 30, 19727.39+0.39Minor6,300
14May 15, 20037.37+0.37Minor3,100
15Apr 28, 19547.35+0.35Minor6,170
16Jun 1, 19707.12+0.12Minor5,870
17Apr 20, 19527.10+0.10Minor5,810
18Apr 26, 20227.10+0.10Minor5,970
19Apr 2, 19867.07+0.07Minor5,790
20May 8, 19997.03+0.03Minor2,830
21Apr 18, 19717.01+0.01Minor5,700
22Sep 19, 19786.90−0.10Action2,660
23Apr 26, 19826.78−0.22Action5,330
24May 19, 19976.71−0.29Action2,540
25Apr 30, 20206.69−0.31Action—
26Apr 24, 19776.64−0.36Action2,450
27May 16, 19956.50−0.50Action2,350
28Apr 14, 20016.37−0.63Action—
29May 6, 19816.04−0.96Action4,280
30Apr 22, 19926.03−0.97Action4,310
31Apr 20, 20085.98−1.02Action4,154
32Apr 9, 19915.89−1.11Action4,210
33Apr 23, 20255.80−1.20Action4,061
34Apr 17, 19765.74−1.26Action3,860
35May 14, 20065.72−1.28Action1,710
36May 24, 19835.54−1.46Action3,580
37Mar 26, 20215.48−1.52Below flood stage—
38Jan 23, 19745.41−1.59Below flood stage1,540
39Feb 21, 19985.41−1.59Below flood stage1,530
40Apr 7, 19885.30−1.70Below flood stage3,240
41Apr 22, 20055.29−1.71Below flood stage1,480
42Sep 22, 19805.26−1.74Below flood stage3,240
43Jun 10, 19895.20−1.80Below flood stage3,100
44May 8, 20005.16−1.84Below flood stage1,330
45Apr 14, 19845.12−1.88Below flood stage2,990
46Apr 27, 20095.05−1.95Below flood stage2,890
47May 5, 19934.89−2.11Below flood stage2,730
48Mar 28, 20074.51−2.49Below flood stage1,950
49Apr 28, 19944.49−2.51Below flood stage2,200
50Mar 14, 19904.11−2.89Below flood stage1,760

Other gauges in Iron County

Flood gauges in Iron County
Crystal Falls8.010.73 ft, Apr 28, 19600

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CRYM4, 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.