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Vermilion River (MN) at Crane Lake

Highest listed crest 16.43 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft46 crests since 1979

The Vermilion River (MN) at Crane Lake crested above flood stage 6 times among the 46 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2024. The highest, 16.43 ft on May 14, 2022, was moderate flooding, 2.43 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.43 ft
May 14, 2022; 5,310 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 14, 2022
16.43 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, Vermilion River (MN) at Crane Lake
Action stage12.017Jun 23, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.05Apr 14, 2011Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.01May 14, 2022Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

46 crests from 1979 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Vermilion River (MN) at Crane Lake, 1979 to 2024 681012141618ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Apr 1, 1979: 15.15 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1980: 10.56 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1981: 11.85 ft, below flood stage; 2,390 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1982: 13.04 ft, action stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1982: 10.56 ft, below flood stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1984: 11.30 ft, below flood stage; 2,090 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1985: 15.20 ft, minor flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1986: 12.68 ft, action stage; 2,740 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1987: 10.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1988: 13.23 ft, action stage; 3,040 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1989: 12.76 ft, action stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1990: 12.29 ft, action stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1991: 10.72 ft, below flood stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1992: 10.93 ft, below flood stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1993: 11.13 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1994: 11.89 ft, below flood stage; 2,320 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1995: 8.65 ft, below flood stage; 968 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1996: 13.38 ft, action stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1997: 12.50 ft, action stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1998: 8.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1999: 12.67 ft, action stage; 2,710 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2000: 9.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2001: 14.19 ft, minor flooding; 3,700 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2002: 9.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2003: 7.79 ft, below flood stage; 726 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2004: 12.03 ft, action stage; 2,390 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2005: 12.64 ft, action stage; 2,710 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2006: 11.69 ft, below flood stage; 2,230 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2007: 10.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,790 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2008: 14.01 ft, minor flooding; 3,620 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2009: 13.00 ft, action stage; 2,930 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2010: 12.15 ft, action stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2011: 14.76 ft, minor flooding; 4,190 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2012: 10.92 ft, below flood stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2013: 13.98 ft, action stage; 3,720 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2014: 13.96 ft, action stage; 3,580 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2015: 11.12 ft, below flood stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2016: 11.59 ft, below flood stage; 2,210 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2017: 11.59 ft, below flood stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2018: 11.96 ft, below flood stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2019: 12.58 ft, action stage; 2,700 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2020: 11.72 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2021: 11.72 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2022: 16.43 ft, moderate flooding; 5,310 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2023: 13.22 ft, action stage; 3,090 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2024: 13.92 ft, action stage; 3,530 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.43 ft, May 14, 2022 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Vermilion River (MN) at Crane Lake 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 2 2 2010s: 1 2020s: 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Vermilion River (MN) at Crane Lake
1May 14, 202216.43+2.43Moderate5,310
2Apr 25, 198515.20+1.20Minor4,360
3Apr 1, 197915.15+1.15Minor4,600
4Apr 14, 201114.76+0.76Minor4,190
5May 26, 200114.19+0.19Minor3,700
6Apr 26, 200814.01+0.01Minor3,620
7May 4, 201313.98−0.02Action3,720
8Jun 4, 201413.96−0.04Action3,580
9Jun 23, 202413.92−0.08Action3,530
10Apr 26, 199613.38−0.62Action3,100
11Aug 24, 198813.23−0.77Action3,040
12May 10, 202313.22−0.78Action3,090
13Apr 25, 198213.04−0.96Action3,100
14Apr 19, 200913.00−1.00Action2,930
15Apr 25, 198912.76−1.24Action2,780
16May 2, 198612.68−1.32Action2,740
17Apr 11, 199912.67−1.33Action2,710
18May 28, 200512.64−1.36Action2,710
19Apr 22, 201912.58−1.42Action2,700
20Apr 9, 199712.50−1.50Action3,100
21May 1, 199012.29−1.71Action2,530
22Jul 6, 201012.15−1.85Action2,490
23Apr 10, 200412.03−1.97Action2,390
24Jul 10, 201811.96−2.04Below flood stage2,380
25May 3, 199411.89−2.11Below flood stage2,320
26Apr 26, 198111.85−2.15Below flood stage2,390
27Apr 11, 202011.72−2.28Below flood stage2,240
28Apr 15, 202111.72−2.28Below flood stage2,240
29Apr 7, 200611.69−2.31Below flood stage2,230
30Apr 27, 201611.59−2.41Below flood stage2,210
31Apr 5, 201711.59−2.41Below flood stage2,200
32Apr 13, 198411.30−2.70Below flood stage2,090
33Jul 29, 199311.13−2.87Below flood stage1,960
34May 20, 201511.12−2.88Below flood stage1,880
35Jun 9, 200710.95−3.05Below flood stage1,790
36Apr 23, 199210.93−3.07Below flood stage1,870
37May 30, 201210.92−3.08Below flood stage1,820
38May 13, 199110.72−3.28Below flood stage1,780
39Apr 21, 198010.56−3.44Below flood stage1,650
40Oct 14, 198210.56−3.44Below flood stage1,730
41May 24, 198710.29−3.71Below flood stage1,600
42Apr 17, 20029.60−4.40Below flood stage1,320
43May 10, 20009.27−4.73Below flood stage1,190
44Apr 14, 19988.70−5.30Below flood stage1,000
45May 11, 19958.65−5.35Below flood stage968
46Sep 22, 20037.79−6.21Below flood stage726

Other gauges in St. Louis County

Flood gauges in St. Louis County
Embarrass, Kaunonen Lake Rd13.414.72 ft, Jun 19, 20240
Two Harbors33.034.89 ft, Sep 24, 20230
Gold Portage Outlet nr Kabetogama20.522.75 ft, May 31, 20221
Crane Lake1,120.01,123.03 ft, Jun 2, 20221

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLKM5, 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.