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Sturgeon River near Alston

Highest listed crest 13.75 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft77 crests since 1948

The Sturgeon River near Alston crested above flood stage 58 times among the 77 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2024. The highest, 13.75 ft on April 24, 1960, was moderate flooding, 5.75 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.75 ft
April 24, 1960; 7,360 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
0
58 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 17, 2023
10.34 ft, minor flooding
Location
Baraga County
Michigan

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sturgeon River near Alston
Action stage7.56Mar 20, 2012The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.048Apr 17, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.010Apr 22, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

77 crests from 1948 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sturgeon River near Alston, 1948 to 2024 68101214ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Apr 28, 1948: 9.29 ft, minor flooding; 2,810 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1949: 10.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,470 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1950: 11.49 ft, moderate flooding; 4,730 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1951: 11.78 ft, moderate flooding; 5,000 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1952: 11.13 ft, moderate flooding; 4,460 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1953: 10.72 ft, minor flooding; 4,100 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1954: 10.92 ft, minor flooding; 4,480 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1955: 10.09 ft, minor flooding; 3,600 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1956: 8.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,330 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1957: 11.23 ft, moderate flooding; 4,750 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1958: 8.90 ft, minor flooding; 2,650 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1959: 9.84 ft, minor flooding; 3,560 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1960: 13.75 ft, moderate flooding; 7,360 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1961: 9.33 ft, minor flooding; 2,840 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1962: 8.37 ft, minor flooding; 2,070 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1963: 9.65 ft, minor flooding; 3,110 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1964: 9.63 ft, minor flooding; 4,720 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1965: 9.73 ft, minor flooding; 4,480 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1966: 8.23 ft, minor flooding; 2,930 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1967: 10.93 ft, minor flooding; 5,920 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1968: 11.64 ft, moderate flooding; 6,200 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1969: 8.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1970: 6.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1971: 9.18 ft, minor flooding; 3,980 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1972: 9.33 ft, minor flooding; 4,120 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1973: 9.49 ft, minor flooding; 4,260 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1974: 8.00 ft, minor flooding; 2,920 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1975: 9.15 ft, minor flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1976: 8.84 ft, minor flooding; 3,680 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1977: 7.62 ft, action stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1978: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 3,950 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1979: 9.72 ft, minor flooding; 4,470 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1980: 9.97 ft, minor flooding; 4,810 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1981: 7.96 ft, action stage; 3,000 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1982: 8.72 ft, minor flooding; 3,690 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1983: 7.44 ft, below flood stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1984: 7.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,570 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1985: 11.43 ft, moderate flooding; 5,950 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1986: 9.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1987: 6.92 ft, below flood stage; 2,050 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1988: 8.20 ft, minor flooding; 3,130 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1989: 8.17 ft, minor flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1990: 7.19 ft, below flood stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1991: 8.27 ft, minor flooding; 3,170 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1992: 11.25 ft, moderate flooding; 5,770 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 1992: 6.91 ft, below flood stage; 2,050 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1994: 7.39 ft, below flood stage; 2,430 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1995: 6.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1996: 9.00 ft, minor flooding; 3,850 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1997: 9.18 ft, minor flooding; 4,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1998: 7.88 ft, action stage; 3,030 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1999: 8.72 ft, minor flooding; 3,660 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2000: 7.07 ft, below flood stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2001: 8.37 ft, minor flooding; 3,140 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2002: 11.92 ft, moderate flooding; 6,570 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2003: 9.74 ft, minor flooding; 4,580 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2004: 9.74 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2005: 9.62 ft, minor flooding; 4,470 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2006: 7.70 ft, action stage; 2,496 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2007: 7.76 ft, action stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2008: 9.13 ft, minor flooding; 4,050 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2009: 8.38 ft, minor flooding; 3,240 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2010: 9.32 ft, minor flooding; 4,230 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2011: 7.30 ft, below flood stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2012: 7.74 ft, action stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2013: 10.51 ft, minor flooding; 6,130 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2014: 8.30 ft, minor flooding; 3,260 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2015: 8.64 ft, minor flooding; 3,650 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2016: 7.35 ft, below flood stage; 2,250 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2017: 8.61 ft, minor flooding; 3,610 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2018: 8.14 ft, minor flooding; 3,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2019: 12.10 ft, moderate flooding; 8,320 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2020: 8.22 ft, minor flooding; 3,029 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2021: 7.35 ft, below flood stage; 2,250 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2022: 9.38 ft, minor flooding; 4,235 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2023: 10.34 ft, minor flooding; 5,120 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2024: 7.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,910 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.75 ft, Apr 24, 1960 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sturgeon River near Alston 1940s: 2 1950s: 10 10 1960s: 10 1970s: 8 1980s: 6 1990s: 5 2000s: 7 2010s: 7 2020s: 3 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 77 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Sturgeon River near Alston
1Apr 24, 196013.75+5.75Moderate7,360
2Apr 22, 201912.10+4.10Moderate8,320
3Apr 18, 200211.92+3.92Moderate6,570
4Apr 29, 195111.78+3.78Moderate5,000
5Jul 16, 196811.64+3.64Moderate6,200
6May 6, 195011.49+3.49Moderate4,730
7Apr 21, 198511.43+3.43Moderate5,950
8Jul 2, 199211.25+3.25Moderate5,770
9Apr 22, 195711.23+3.23Moderate4,750
10Apr 20, 195211.13+3.13Moderate4,460
11Jun 16, 196710.93+2.93Minor5,920
12Apr 26, 195410.92+2.92Minor4,480
13Aug 4, 195310.72+2.72Minor4,100
14May 1, 201310.51+2.51Minor6,130
15Apr 17, 202310.34+2.34Minor5,120
16May 6, 194910.10+2.10Minor3,470
17Apr 14, 195510.09+2.09Minor3,600
18Sep 14, 19809.97+1.97Minor4,810
19Apr 18, 19599.84+1.84Minor3,560
20May 12, 20039.74+1.74Minor4,580
21Apr 20, 20049.74+1.74Minor4,380
22May 10, 19659.73+1.73Minor4,480
23Apr 27, 19799.72+1.72Minor4,470
24Apr 2, 19639.65+1.65Minor3,110
25Apr 14, 19649.63+1.63Minor4,720
26Apr 6, 20059.62+1.62Minor4,470
27May 10, 19739.49+1.49Minor4,260
28Apr 13, 20229.38+1.38Minor4,235
29Apr 22, 19619.33+1.33Minor2,840
30May 2, 19729.33+1.33Minor4,120
31Sep 24, 20109.32+1.32Minor4,230
32Apr 28, 19489.29+1.29Minor2,810
33Apr 1, 19869.20+1.20Minor2,050
34Apr 18, 19719.18+1.18Minor3,980
35Apr 6, 19979.18+1.18Minor4,000
36May 21, 19759.15+1.15Minor3,960
37Aug 23, 19789.14+1.14Minor3,950
38Apr 23, 20089.13+1.13Minor4,050
39May 19, 19969.00+1.00Minor3,850
40Apr 19, 19588.90+0.90Minor2,650
41Apr 17, 19768.84+0.84Minor3,680
42Apr 15, 19698.80+0.80Minor3,500
43Apr 26, 19828.72+0.72Minor3,690
44May 26, 19998.72+0.72Minor3,660
45Apr 27, 20158.64+0.64Minor3,650
46Apr 27, 20178.61+0.61Minor3,610
47Apr 25, 20098.38+0.38Minor3,240
48Apr 22, 19628.37+0.37Minor2,070
49Apr 8, 20018.37+0.37Minor3,140
50May 14, 19568.34+0.34Minor2,330

The worst floods along the Sturgeon River

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

April 18, 2002: 11.92 ft here, moderate flooding

  • ChassellMI · Apr 18, 2002 · 11.47 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Sturgeon River

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

Flood gauges on the Sturgeon River
Alston this gaugeMI8.013.75 ft, Apr 24, 19600
ChassellMI10.511.47 ft, Apr 8, 19970

Other gauges in Baraga County

Flood gauges in Baraga County
L`Anse14.015.18 ft, May 12, 20030

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ALSM4, 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.