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James River near Yankton

Highest listed crest 27.84 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft38 crests since 1982

The James River near Yankton crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 38 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1982 to 2025. The highest, 27.84 ft on September 14, 2019, was major flooding, 15.84 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the James River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.84 ft
September 14, 2019; 47,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
9
8th of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
June 25, 2024
22.17 ft, major flooding
Location
Yankton County
Near Yankton (7.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, James River near Yankton
Action stage10.04May 5, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.04May 30, 1999Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.05Mar 20, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.09Jun 25, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

38 crests from 1982 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the James River near Yankton, 1982 to 2025 0102030ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Jun 2, 1982: 11.40 ft, action stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1983: 12.61 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 1984: 24.34 ft, major flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1985: 13.25 ft, minor flooding; 3,820 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1986: 19.71 ft, moderate flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1987: 19.98 ft, moderate flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1988: 7.70 ft, below flood stage; 850 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1989: 10.72 ft, action stage; 2,230 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1990: 5.38 ft, below flood stage; 387 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1991: 10.70 ft, action stage; 2,210 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1992: 7.15 ft, below flood stage; 921 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1993: 21.15 ft, major flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1994: 16.87 ft, moderate flooding; 7,490 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1995: 21.46 ft, major flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1996: 12.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,420 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1997: 22.94 ft, major flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1999: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,360 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2000: 6.48 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2001: 21.95 ft, major flooding; 24,900 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 2002: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2003: 7.54 ft, below flood stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2004: 8.01 ft, below flood stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2010: 22.75 ft, major flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2011: 22.24 ft, major flooding; 29,200 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2012: 9.67 ft, below flood stage; 4,350 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2013: 7.16 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2014: 7.38 ft, below flood stage; 3,030 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2015: 6.45 ft, below flood stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2016: 9.20 ft, below flood stage; 4,260 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2017: 7.39 ft, below flood stage; 2,590 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2019: 20.30 ft, moderate floodingSep 14, 2019: 27.84 ft, major flooding; 47,200 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2020: 16.18 ft, moderate flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2021: 4.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2022: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2023: 11.65 ft, action stage; 7,440 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2024: 22.17 ft, major flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2025: 7.19 ft, below flood stage; 3,370 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.84 ft, Sep 14, 2019 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, James River near Yankton 1980s: 5 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 2020s: 2 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, James River near Yankton
1Sep 14, 201927.84+15.84Major47,200
2Jun 23, 198424.34+12.34Major26,400
3Apr 9, 199722.94+10.94Major28,800
4Mar 20, 201022.75+10.75Major28,000
5Mar 28, 201122.24+10.24Major29,200
6Jun 25, 202422.17+10.17Major27,800
7Apr 14, 200121.95+9.95Major24,900
8May 30, 199521.46+9.46Major20,100
9Jul 8, 199321.15+9.15Major15,800
10Apr 18, 201920.30+8.30Moderate—
11Mar 29, 198719.98+7.98Moderate11,100
12Apr 22, 198619.71+7.71Moderate11,000
13Apr 1, 199416.87+4.87Moderate7,490
14Mar 20, 202016.18+4.18Moderate13,000
15Mar 31, 198513.25+1.25Minor3,820
16May 30, 199913.20+1.20Minor5,360
17Feb 27, 198312.61+0.61Minor—
18Jun 9, 199612.50+0.50Minor4,420
19May 5, 202311.65−0.35Action7,440
20Jun 2, 198211.40−0.60Action2,410
21Apr 20, 198910.72−1.28Action2,230
22Jun 22, 199110.70−1.30Action2,210
23May 14, 20129.67−2.33Below flood stage4,350
24May 5, 20169.20−2.80Below flood stage4,260
25Jun 20, 20228.60−3.40Below flood stage4,120
26Jun 17, 20048.01−3.99Below flood stage2,100
27Mar 3, 19887.70−4.30Below flood stage850
28Jul 10, 20037.54−4.46Below flood stage1,860
29Jun 13, 20177.39−4.61Below flood stage2,590
30Jun 22, 20147.38−4.62Below flood stage3,030
31Aug 8, 20257.19−4.81Below flood stage3,370
32Jul 7, 20137.16−4.84Below flood stage2,800
33Aug 13, 19927.15−4.85Below flood stage921
34Aug 9, 20006.48−5.52Below flood stage1,220
35Jul 8, 20156.45−5.55Below flood stage2,510
36Aug 26, 20025.81−6.19Below flood stage1,100
37May 30, 19905.38−6.62Below flood stage387
38Mar 27, 20214.91−7.09Below flood stage1,100

The worst floods along the James River

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

September 14, 2019: 27.84 ft here, major flooding

  • MitchellSD · Sep 13, 2019 · 25.05 ft · Major
  • ScotlandSD · Sep 13, 2019 · 22.22 ft · Major · its highest

June 23, 1984: 24.34 ft here, major flooding

  • ScotlandSD · Jun 23, 1984 · 20.45 ft · Major
  • ForestburgSD · Jun 25, 1984 · 15.75 ft · Moderate
  • HuronSD · Jun 22, 1984 · 13.18 ft · Minor

April 9, 1997: 22.94 ft here, major flooding

  • RedfieldSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 31.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • AshtonSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 26.64 ft · Major · its highest
  • HuronSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 21.28 ft · Major · its highest
  • ForestburgSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 20.61 ft · Major · its highest
  • ScotlandSD · Apr 8, 1997 · 19.81 ft · Major
  • StratfordSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 19.48 ft · Major
  • KensalND · Apr 7, 1997 · 14.00 ft · Major
  • Grace CityND · Apr 3, 1997 · 14.77 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the James River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the James River
Grace CityND12.017.74 ft, Apr 17, 20093
KensalND9.016.69 ft, Apr 28, 20095
JamestownND12.016.94 ft, Apr 11, 19691
LaMoureND14.017.56 ft, Apr 15, 20090
HeclaND93.098.04 ft, Apr 1, 19972
ColumbiaSD13.019.81 ft, Jul 16, 20118
StratfordSD14.021.57 ft, Jul 19, 20116
AshtonSD13.026.64 ft, Apr 6, 199716
RedfieldSD20.031.10 ft, Apr 6, 19976
HuronSD11.521.28 ft, Apr 6, 19973
ForestburgSD12.020.61 ft, Apr 6, 19977
MitchellSD17.025.33 ft, Apr 11, 20015
ScotlandSD13.022.22 ft, Sep 13, 201916
Yankton this gaugeSD12.027.84 ft, Sep 14, 20199

Other gauges in Yankton County

Flood gauges in Yankton County
Yankton20.050.50 ft, Apr 5, 188138

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge YNNS2, 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.