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Vermillion River near Wakonda

Highest listed crest 18.93 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft77 crests since 1946

The Vermillion River near Wakonda crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 77 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2025. The highest, 18.93 ft on June 22, 2024, was major flooding, 4.93 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Vermillion River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.93 ft
June 22, 2024
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
12
4th of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2024
18.93 ft, major flooding
Location
Clay County
Near Vermillion (14.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Vermillion River near Wakonda
Action stage13.04Apr 25, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.06Mar 9, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.524May 17, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.012Jun 22, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

77 crests from 1946 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Vermillion River near Wakonda, 1946 to 2025 -505101520ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Feb 24, 1946: 10.88 ft, below flood stageJun 13, 1947: 16.63 ft, moderate flooding; 3,010 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1948: 15.82 ft, moderate flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1949: 15.90 ft, moderate flooding; 2,650 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1950: 13.99 ft, action stageMar 30, 1951: 16.25 ft, moderate flooding; 2,650 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1952: 16.37 ft, moderate flooding; 3,280 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1953: 15.23 ft, minor flooding; 1,900 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1954: 16.56 ft, moderate floodingMar 12, 1955: 12.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1956: 5.86 ft, below flood stage; 156 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1957: 16.48 ft, moderate flooding; 2,990 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1958: 6.84 ft, below flood stage; 303 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1959: 13.95 ft, action stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1960: 16.94 ft, moderate flooding; 7,300 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1961: 14.08 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1962: 16.75 ft, moderate flooding; 8,660 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1963: 5.97 ft, below flood stage; 203 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1964: 7.47 ft, below flood stage; 300 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1965: 12.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1966: 13.01 ft, action stage; 950 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1967: 12.37 ft, below flood stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1968: 6.84 ft, below flood stage; 265 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1969: 17.17 ft, major flooding; 9,880 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1970: 14.23 ft, minor flooding; 1,640 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1971: 16.00 ft, moderate flooding; 1,700 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1972: 16.15 ft, moderate flooding; 2,590 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1973: 15.27 ft, minor flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1974: 8.63 ft, below flood stage; 462 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1975: 5.78 ft, below flood stageFeb 18, 1976: 8.87 ft, below flood stageMar 14, 1977: 8.80 ft, below flood stage; 355 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1978: 16.44 ft, moderate flooding; 2,750 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1979: 16.57 ft, moderate flooding; 4,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1980: 7.85 ft, below flood stageJun 14, 1981: 9.77 ft, below flood stage; 506 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1982: 11.64 ft, below flood stage; 923 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1983: 17.03 ft, major flooding; 5,020 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1984: 17.62 ft, major flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1985: 15.60 ft, moderate flooding; 2,400 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1986: 16.50 ft, moderate flooding; 2,900 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1987: 16.40 ft, moderate flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1989: 7.60 ft, below flood stage; 400 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1990: 11.25 ft, below flood stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1991: 7.10 ft, below flood stage; 462 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 1992: 10.65 ft, below flood stage; 950 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1993: 17.33 ft, major flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1994: 16.51 ft, moderate flooding; 2,500 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1995: 17.34 ft, major flooding; 5,560 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1996: 10.56 ft, below flood stageMar 31, 1997: 16.93 ft, moderate flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1998: 13.24 ft, action stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1999: 15.53 ft, moderate flooding; 2,740 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2000: 5.35 ft, below flood stage; 201 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2001: 17.11 ft, major flooding; 5,520 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2002: 5.36 ft, below flood stage; 245 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2003: 16.12 ft, moderate flooding; 3,200 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2004: -0.99 ft, below flood stage; 3,000 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2005: 15.00 ft, minor flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2006: 12.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,680 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2007: 16.58 ft, moderate flooding; 3,740 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2008: 17.05 ft, major flooding; 4,080 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2009: 12.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2010: 17.60 ft, major flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2011: 17.38 ft, major flooding; 6,410 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2012: 12.76 ft, below flood stage; 1,990 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 15.69 ft, moderate flooding; 3,120 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2014: 16.96 ft, moderate flooding; 3,850 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2015: 11.00 ft, below flood stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2016: 16.72 ft, moderate flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 12.64 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2018: 17.50 ft, major floodingMar 15, 2019: 18.11 ft, major flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2020: 15.10 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 2023: 10.46 ft, below flood stageJun 22, 2024: 18.93 ft, major floodingJul 31, 2025: 6.27 ft, below flood stage Highest, 18.93 ft, Jun 22, 2024 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Vermillion River near Wakonda 1940s: 3 1950s: 5 1960s: 4 1970s: 6 1980s: 5 1990s: 5 2000s: 5 2010s: 7 7 2020s: 2 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: -0.99 ft on Jun 15, 1944.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 77 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Vermillion River near Wakonda
1Jun 22, 202418.93+4.93Major—
2Mar 15, 201918.11+4.11Major16,000
3Jun 23, 198417.62+3.62Major17,000
4Mar 17, 201017.60+3.60Major20,000
5Jun 25, 201817.50+3.50Major—
6Mar 20, 201117.38+3.38Major6,410
7Apr 24, 199517.34+3.34Major5,560
8Jul 7, 199317.33+3.33Major13,000
9Apr 6, 196917.17+3.17Major9,880
10Apr 26, 200117.11+3.11Major5,520
11Jun 10, 200817.05+3.05Major4,080
12Jun 22, 198317.03+3.03Major5,020
13Jun 17, 201416.96+2.96Moderate3,850
14Apr 1, 196016.94+2.94Moderate7,300
15Mar 31, 199716.93+2.93Moderate6,150
16Mar 28, 196216.75+2.75Moderate8,660
17May 17, 201616.72+2.72Moderate3,890
18Jun 13, 194716.63+2.63Moderate3,010
19Mar 18, 200716.58+2.58Moderate3,740
20Mar 25, 197916.57+2.57Moderate4,860
21Jun 19, 195416.56+2.56Moderate—
22Mar 9, 199416.51+2.51Moderate2,500
23Apr 22, 198616.50+2.50Moderate2,900
24Jun 21, 195716.48+2.48Moderate2,990
25Mar 22, 197816.44+2.44Moderate2,750
26Mar 29, 198716.40+2.40Moderate2,000
27Mar 31, 195216.37+2.37Moderate3,280
28Mar 30, 195116.25+2.25Moderate2,650
29May 4, 197216.15+2.15Moderate2,590
30Jul 6, 200316.12+2.12Moderate3,200
31Feb 19, 197116.00+2.00Moderate1,700
32Mar 5, 194915.90+1.90Moderate2,650
33Mar 3, 194815.82+1.82Moderate2,440
34May 30, 201315.69+1.69Moderate3,120
35Apr 25, 198515.60+1.60Moderate2,400
36Apr 14, 199915.53+1.53Moderate2,740
37Mar 6, 197315.27+1.27Minor2,000
38Jun 11, 195315.23+1.23Minor1,900
39Mar 9, 202015.10+1.10Minor—
40Jun 4, 200515.00+1.00Minor2,440
41Mar 8, 197014.23+0.23Minor1,640
42Jun 17, 196114.08+0.08Minor1,500
43Mar 25, 195013.99−0.01Action—
44Jun 2, 195913.95−0.05Action1,480
45Apr 25, 199813.24−0.76Action2,260
46Feb 12, 196613.01−0.99Action950
47Jun 15, 196512.84−1.16Below flood stage1,100
48May 11, 201212.76−1.24Below flood stage1,990
49May 1, 201712.64−1.36Below flood stage1,960
50Mar 12, 195512.42−1.58Below flood stage1,080

The worst floods along the Vermillion River

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

June 22, 2024: 18.93 ft here, major flooding

  • ChancellorSD · Jun 22, 2024 · 1,297.87 ft · Major · its highest
  • VermillionSD · Jun 23, 2024 · 33.15 ft · Major · its highest
  • DavisSD · Jun 22, 2024 · 17.90 ft · Major · its highest

March 15, 2019: 18.11 ft here, major flooding

  • DavisSD · Mar 15, 2019 · 16.20 ft · Major
  • VermillionSD · Mar 16, 2019 · 29.87 ft · Moderate

June 23, 1984: 17.62 ft here, major flooding

  • DavisSD · Jun 22, 1984 · 15.10 ft · Major

Gauges on the Vermillion River

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

Flood gauges on the Vermillion River
Lake ThompsonSD1,694.01,695.08 ft, Oct 8, 20190
VermillionSD21.033.15 ft, Jun 23, 20241
ChancellorSD1,290.01,297.87 ft, Jun 22, 20241
DavisSD11.017.90 ft, Jun 22, 20246
Wakonda this gaugeSD14.018.93 ft, Jun 22, 202412

Other gauges in Clay County

Flood gauges in Clay County
Vermillion21.033.15 ft, Jun 23, 20241

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WKAS2, 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.