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Knife River (MN) near Two Harbors

Highest listed crest 34.89 ftFlood stage 33.0 ft11 crests since 1979

The Knife River (MN) near Two Harbors crested above flood stage 1 time among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2025. The highest, 34.89 ft on September 24, 2023, was moderate flooding, 1.89 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
34.89 ft
September 24, 2023; 8,120 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
33.0 ft
Major flooding from 36.0 ft
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 24, 2023
34.89 ft, moderate flooding
Location
St. Louis County
Minnesota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Knife River (MN) near Two Harbors
Action stage30.05Jul 23, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)33.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage34.01Sep 24, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage36.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1979 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Knife River (MN) near Two Harbors, 1979 to 2025 010203040ft Flood stage 33.0 ftMajor 36.0 ft May 10, 1979: 11.16 ft, below flood stage; 7,440 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1984: 7.15 ft, below flood stage; 2,400 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2007: 6.14 ft, below flood stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2018: 32.63 ft, action stage; 4,110 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2018: 29.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2020: 30.36 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2021: 29.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2022: 30.03 ft, action stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2023: 34.89 ft, moderate flooding; 8,120 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2024: 31.76 ft, action stage; 3,610 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2025: 30.28 ft, action stage; 2,160 cubic feet per second Highest, 34.89 ft, Sep 24, 2023 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Knife River (MN) near Two Harbors 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 40 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 7.52 ft on Apr 23, 1975; 5.93 ft on Apr 6, 1976; 8.94 ft on Sep 24, 1977; 8.43 ft on May 29, 1978; 8.09 ft on Sep 4, 1980; 7.24 ft on Apr 23, 1981; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Knife River (MN) near Two Harbors
1Sep 24, 202334.89+1.89Moderate8,120
2Jun 18, 201832.63−0.37Action4,110
3Jun 19, 202431.76−1.24Action3,610
4Jul 19, 202030.36−2.64Action2,070
5Jul 23, 202530.28−2.72Action2,160
6May 1, 202230.03−2.97Action1,830
7Oct 10, 201829.95−3.05Below flood stage1,780
8Apr 12, 202129.43−3.57Below flood stage1,410
9May 10, 197911.16−21.84Below flood stage7,440
10Oct 19, 19847.15−25.85Below flood stage2,400
11Jun 18, 20076.14−26.86Below flood stage1,760

Other gauges in St. Louis County

Flood gauges in St. Louis County
Embarrass, Kaunonen Lake Rd13.414.72 ft, Jun 19, 20240
Gold Portage Outlet nr Kabetogama20.522.75 ft, May 31, 20221
Crane Lake1,120.01,123.03 ft, Jun 2, 20221
Crane Lake14.016.43 ft, May 14, 20220

St. Louis County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Minnesota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge KNIM5, 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.