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Sauk River at St. Cloud

Highest listed crest 10.68 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft40 crests since 1951

The Sauk River at St. Cloud crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 40 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2024. The highest, 10.68 ft on April 13, 1965, was major flooding, 4.68 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.68 ft
April 13, 1965; 9,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
1
65th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
April 16, 2023
8.17 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Stearns County
Near Sartell (4.0 mi), St. Cloud (4.0 mi), Sauk Rapids (4.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sauk River at St. Cloud
Action stage5.07Apr 3, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.07Mar 26, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.010Apr 16, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.01Apr 13, 1965Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

40 crests from 1951 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sauk River at St. Cloud, 1951 to 2024 24681012ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 9.0 ft Apr 13, 1951: 7.89 ft, moderate flooding; 5,580 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1952: 7.78 ft, moderate flooding; 5,410 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1957: 6.22 ft, minor flooding; 2,920 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1965: 10.68 ft, major flooding; 9,100 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1969: 7.96 ft, moderate flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1972: 7.33 ft, moderate flooding; 1,800 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1975: 6.77 ft, minor flooding; 3,410 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1976: 5.37 ft, action stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1978: 5.00 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1979: 6.12 ft, minor flooding; 3,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1981: 3.27 ft, below flood stage; 750 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1992: 4.35 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1993: 5.28 ft, action stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1994: 5.04 ft, action stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1997: 8.72 ft, moderate flooding; 5,150 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1998: 3.48 ft, below flood stage; 992 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1999: 4.69 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2001: 8.08 ft, moderate flooding; 4,570 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2001: 7.20 ft, moderate floodingAug 6, 2002: 4.99 ft, below flood stageJul 7, 2003: 4.72 ft, below flood stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2004: 3.29 ft, below flood stageJun 20, 2005: 4.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2007: 5.03 ft, action stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2008: 3.85 ft, below flood stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2009: 8.19 ft, moderate flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2010: 6.85 ft, minor flooding; 3,360 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2011: 6.14 ft, minor flooding; 2,578 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2011: 6.60 ft, minor flooding; 2,920 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2013: 5.40 ft, action stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2014: 7.00 ft, moderate flooding; 3,522 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2015: 4.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,360 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2016: 4.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2017: 4.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,260 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2018: 4.11 ft, below flood stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2019: 6.81 ft, minor flooding; 3,530 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2020: 5.00 ft, action stage; 1,710 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2021: 3.64 ft, below flood stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2023: 8.17 ft, moderate flooding; 5,260 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2024: 3.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.68 ft, Apr 13, 1965 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sauk River at St. Cloud 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 1 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

Highest listed crests, Sauk River at St. Cloud
1Apr 13, 196510.68+4.68Major9,100
2Apr 6, 19978.72+2.72Moderate5,150
3Mar 27, 20098.19+2.19Moderate4,600
4Apr 16, 20238.17+2.17Moderate5,260
5Apr 14, 20018.08+2.08Moderate4,570
6Apr 11, 19697.96+1.96Moderate5,300
7Apr 13, 19517.89+1.89Moderate5,580
8Apr 13, 19527.78+1.78Moderate5,410
9Mar 22, 19727.33+1.33Moderate1,800
10Apr 25, 20017.20+1.20Moderate—
11Jun 5, 20147.00+1.00Moderate3,522
12Mar 18, 20106.85+0.85Minor3,360
13Mar 26, 20196.81+0.81Minor3,530
14Apr 29, 19756.77+0.77Minor3,410
15Jul 20, 20116.60+0.60Minor2,920
16Mar 27, 19576.22+0.22Minor2,920
17Apr 11, 20116.14+0.14Minor2,578
18Apr 21, 19796.12+0.12Minor3,000
19Jul 1, 20135.40−0.60Action2,180
20Apr 1, 19765.37−0.63Action2,140
21Jul 8, 19935.28−0.72Action1,970
22May 4, 19945.04−0.96Action1,800
23Apr 4, 20075.03−0.97Action1,720
24Jul 10, 19785.00−1.00Action1,820
25Apr 3, 20205.00−1.00Action1,710
26Aug 6, 20024.99−1.01Below flood stage—
27Jul 16, 20164.88−1.12Below flood stage1,450
28Jul 7, 20034.72−1.28Below flood stage1,490
29May 20, 19994.69−1.31Below flood stage1,600
30Jun 14, 20154.52−1.48Below flood stage1,360
31Mar 10, 19924.35−1.65Below flood stage1,410
32May 25, 20174.17−1.83Below flood stage1,260
33Jun 20, 20054.16−1.84Below flood stage1,130
34Apr 28, 20184.11−1.89Below flood stage1,180
35May 4, 20243.99−2.01Below flood stage1,500
36Apr 26, 20083.85−2.15Below flood stage1,180
37Apr 19, 20213.64−2.36Below flood stage1,290
38Jun 26, 19983.48−2.52Below flood stage992
39Jun 16, 20043.29−2.71Below flood stage—
40Jun 16, 19813.27−2.73Below flood stage750

Stearns County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Minnesota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge STCM5, 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.