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Big Sioux River at Lake Poinsett Inlet/Outlet

Highest listed crest 1,657.60 ftFlood stage 1,654.0 ft70 crests since 1935

The Big Sioux River at Lake Poinsett Inlet/Outlet crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 70 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1935 to 2020. The highest, 1,657.60 ft on April 5, 2011, was major flooding, 3.60 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Big Sioux River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
1,657.60 ft
April 5, 2011
Flood stage
1,654.0 ft
Major flooding from 1,657.0 ft
Crests at major
2
42nd of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
April 14, 2020
1,654.31 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hamlin County
South Dakota
Identifiers
NWS PONS2
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Sioux River at Lake Poinsett Inlet/Outlet
Action stage1,651.520May 12, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)1,654.04Apr 14, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage1,655.03Jul 17, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage1,657.02Apr 22, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

70 crests from 1935 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Sioux River at Lake Poinsett Inlet/Outlet, 1935 to 2020 163516401645165016551660ft Flood stage 1,654.0 ftMajor 1,657.0 ft Oct 20, 1935: 1,638.20 ft, below flood stageMay 31, 1937: 1,637.90 ft, below flood stageJun 9, 1938: 1,638.60 ft, below flood stageMay 30, 1939: 1,638.80 ft, below flood stageMay 15, 1940: 1,638.90 ft, below flood stageJun 3, 1941: 1,639.00 ft, below flood stageMay 29, 1942: 1,639.20 ft, below flood stageJun 17, 1943: 1,646.90 ft, below flood stageJul 5, 1944: 1,648.10 ft, below flood stageMay 5, 1945: 1,647.50 ft, below flood stageMay 22, 1946: 1,651.60 ft, action stageMay 22, 1947: 1,652.60 ft, action stageMay 13, 1948: 1,648.80 ft, below flood stageMay 19, 1949: 1,646.40 ft, below flood stageMay 16, 1950: 1,651.20 ft, below flood stageJan 8, 1951: 1,646.10 ft, below flood stageFeb 26, 1952: 1,648.60 ft, below flood stageNov 15, 1953: 1,651.00 ft, below flood stageApr 19, 1954: 1,651.90 ft, action stageMay 11, 1955: 1,651.00 ft, below flood stageMay 17, 1956: 1,650.30 ft, below flood stageSep 12, 1957: 1,651.40 ft, below flood stageApr 1, 1959: 1,650.40 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 1960: 1,652.10 ft, action stageJun 6, 1961: 1,651.50 ft, action stageJun 7, 1962: 1,653.00 ft, action stageMay 9, 1963: 1,651.70 ft, action stageMay 14, 1964: 1,651.00 ft, below flood stageJun 6, 1965: 1,651.47 ft, below flood stageJun 19, 1966: 1,651.47 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 1967: 1,651.57 ft, action stageMay 13, 1968: 1,650.39 ft, below flood stageApr 18, 1969: 1,653.76 ft, action stageMay 1, 1970: 1,652.39 ft, action stageOct 12, 1983: 1,648.50 ft, below flood stageSep 25, 1984: 1,652.50 ft, action stageMay 7, 1985: 1,654.50 ft, minor floodingOct 8, 1986: 1,653.40 ft, action stageApr 28, 1987: 1,652.60 ft, action stageApr 21, 1988: 1,650.80 ft, below flood stageMay 16, 1989: 1,650.00 ft, below flood stageSep 24, 1990: 1,649.80 ft, below flood stageMay 7, 1991: 1,650.30 ft, below flood stageSep 22, 1992: 1,651.20 ft, below flood stageSep 28, 1993: 1,653.30 ft, action stageMay 10, 1994: 1,653.50 ft, action stageMay 2, 1995: 1,654.30 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 1996: 1,653.00 ft, action stageMay 12, 1997: 1,656.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 28, 1998: 1,653.00 ft, action stageApr 28, 1999: 1,651.60 ft, action stageApr 12, 2000: 1,650.70 ft, below flood stageMay 2, 2001: 1,655.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 2002: 1,651.10 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 2003: 1,649.80 ft, below flood stageMay 4, 2004: 1,648.40 ft, below flood stageMay 12, 2005: 1,647.80 ft, below flood stageMay 1, 2006: 1,647.60 ft, below flood stageApr 26, 2007: 1,648.10 ft, below flood stageApr 30, 2008: 1,647.80 ft, below flood stageOct 7, 2009: 1,651.37 ft, below flood stageMay 19, 2010: 1,654.96 ft, minor floodingJul 17, 2010: 1,656.44 ft, moderate floodingApr 5, 2011: 1,657.60 ft, major floodingApr 30, 2012: 1,652.73 ft, action stageOct 28, 2013: 1,650.93 ft, below flood stageMay 12, 2014: 1,652.04 ft, action stageOct 8, 2015: 1,651.29 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 2019: 1,657.00 ft, major floodingApr 14, 2020: 1,654.31 ft, minor flooding Highest, 1,657.60 ft, Apr 5, 2011 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Sioux River at Lake Poinsett Inlet/Outlet 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 70 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Big Sioux River at Lake Poinsett Inlet/Outlet
1Apr 5, 20111,657.60+3.60Major—
2Apr 22, 20191,657.00+3.00Major—
3Jul 17, 20101,656.44+2.44Moderate—
4May 12, 19971,656.20+2.20Moderate—
5May 2, 20011,655.50+1.50Moderate—
6May 19, 20101,654.96+0.96Minor—
7May 7, 19851,654.50+0.50Minor—
8Apr 14, 20201,654.31+0.31Minor—
9May 2, 19951,654.30+0.30Minor—
10Apr 18, 19691,653.76−0.24Action—
11May 10, 19941,653.50−0.50Action—
12Oct 8, 19861,653.40−0.60Action—
13Sep 28, 19931,653.30−0.70Action—
14Jun 7, 19621,653.00−1.00Action—
15Apr 30, 19961,653.00−1.00Action—
16Apr 28, 19981,653.00−1.00Action—
17Apr 30, 20121,652.73−1.27Action—
18May 22, 19471,652.60−1.40Action—
19Apr 28, 19871,652.60−1.40Action—
20Sep 25, 19841,652.50−1.50Action—
21May 1, 19701,652.39−1.61Action—
22Apr 25, 19601,652.10−1.90Action—
23May 12, 20141,652.04−1.96Action—
24Apr 19, 19541,651.90−2.10Action—
25May 9, 19631,651.70−2.30Action—
26May 22, 19461,651.60−2.40Action—
27Apr 28, 19991,651.60−2.40Action—
28Apr 25, 19671,651.57−2.43Action—
29Jun 6, 19611,651.50−2.50Action—
30Jun 6, 19651,651.47−2.53Below flood stage—
31Jun 19, 19661,651.47−2.53Below flood stage—
32Sep 12, 19571,651.40−2.60Below flood stage—
33Oct 7, 20091,651.37−2.63Below flood stage—
34Oct 8, 20151,651.29−2.71Below flood stage—
35May 16, 19501,651.20−2.80Below flood stage—
36Sep 22, 19921,651.20−2.80Below flood stage—
37Apr 23, 20021,651.10−2.90Below flood stage—
38Nov 15, 19531,651.00−3.00Below flood stage—
39May 11, 19551,651.00−3.00Below flood stage—
40May 14, 19641,651.00−3.00Below flood stage—
41Oct 28, 20131,650.93−3.07Below flood stage—
42Apr 21, 19881,650.80−3.20Below flood stage—
43Apr 12, 20001,650.70−3.30Below flood stage—
44Apr 1, 19591,650.40−3.60Below flood stage—
45May 13, 19681,650.39−3.61Below flood stage—
46May 17, 19561,650.30−3.70Below flood stage—
47May 7, 19911,650.30−3.70Below flood stage—
48May 16, 19891,650.00−4.00Below flood stage—
49Sep 24, 19901,649.80−4.20Below flood stage—
50Apr 22, 20031,649.80−4.20Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Big Sioux River

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

April 5, 2011: 1,657.60 ft here, major flooding

May 2, 2001: 1,655.50 ft here, moderate flooding

  • AkronIA · Apr 26, 2001 · 23.38 ft · Major

Gauges on the Big Sioux River

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

Flood gauges on the Big Sioux River
CantonSD1,235.01,248.35 ft, Jun 22, 20243
Dell RapidsSD1,481.01,490.00 ft, Sep 13, 20192
FlandreauSD1,540.01,545.29 ft, Sep 13, 20191
HawardenSD20.539.92 ft, Jun 22, 20244
AkronIA16.027.35 ft, Jun 22, 202424
FairviewSD1,202.01,213.14 ft, Sep 14, 20190
Lake KampeskaSD21.022.40 ft, Mar 15, 20100
Lake Poinsett Inlet/Outlet this gaugeSD1,654.01,657.60 ft, Apr 5, 20112
Sioux CitySD32.044.90 ft, Jun 23, 20241
Sioux Falls I-90SD12.018.91 ft, Sep 14, 20191
Sioux Falls N. Cliff AvenueSD16.026.08 ft, Sep 14, 20190
Sioux Falls Western AvenueSD8.016.90 ft, Mar 14, 20194
TrentSD1,495.01,501.42 ft, Sep 13, 20192
Watertown Broadway AvenueSD10.513.67 ft, Apr 6, 19971
Watertown Sioux Conifer RoadSD9.011.18 ft, Apr 13, 20230
WatertownSD11.013.13 ft, Apr 2, 19975
BrandonSD1,304.01,313.53 ft, Sep 14, 20192
BrookingsSD9.014.77 ft, Apr 9, 19690
BruceSD8.012.16 ft, Mar 28, 20110
CastlewoodSD9.013.19 ft, Apr 7, 19970
Dell RapidsSD12.016.70 ft, Sep 13, 201910
EganSD1,516.51,524.20 ft, Sep 12, 20192
EstellineSD1,644.01,647.03 ft, Jun 30, 20250
FlorenceSD8.09.70 ft, Apr 13, 20236
JeffersonIA31.044.50 ft, Jun 24, 20242
RichlandIA1,117.01,128.70 ft, Jun 23, 20245
WatertownSD10.012.33 ft, Apr 7, 20012

Other gauges in Hamlin County

Flood gauges in Hamlin County
Castlewood9.013.19 ft, Apr 7, 19970
Estelline1,644.01,647.03 ft, Jun 30, 20250

Hamlin County: every hazard · River floods across the country · South Dakota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PONS2, 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.