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Kickapoo River at Gays Mills

Highest listed crest 22.31 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft38 crests since 1951

The Kickapoo River at Gays Mills crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 38 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2026. The highest, 22.31 ft on August 29, 2018, was major flooding, 9.31 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Kickapoo River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.31 ft
August 29, 2018
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
6
11th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
July 3, 2026
14.78 ft, minor flooding
Location
Crawford County
Wisconsin
Identifiers
NWS GMIW3
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, Kickapoo River at Gays Mills
Action stage11.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.022Jul 3, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.010Jul 21, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.06Aug 29, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

38 crests from 1951 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kickapoo River at Gays Mills, 1951 to 2026 12141618202224ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Jul 22, 1951: 16.00 ft, moderate flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1962: 14.00 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1963: 14.00 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 1965: 15.80 ft, moderate flooding; 6,920 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1965: 14.15 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 1966: 16.75 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1967: 14.00 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 1972: 13.30 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1973: 15.20 ft, moderate flooding; 5,090 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1975: 14.00 ft, minor floodingJul 2, 1978: 19.80 ft, major flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1980: 13.68 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1981: 15.10 ft, moderate floodingApr 3, 1982: 16.10 ft, moderate floodingJun 1, 2000: 16.50 ft, moderate floodingJul 10, 2000: 14.45 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 2001: 14.10 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2001: 13.05 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 2004: 13.40 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 2004: 14.51 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 2004: 13.80 ft, minor floodingJun 14, 2004: 13.45 ft, minor floodingAug 20, 2007: 19.79 ft, major floodingJun 9, 2008: 20.44 ft, major floodingAug 16, 2010: 15.43 ft, moderate floodingAug 24, 2016: 13.73 ft, minor floodingSep 9, 2016: 14.62 ft, minor flooding; 3,051 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2016: 18.10 ft, major floodingJul 22, 2017: 18.08 ft, major floodingAug 29, 2018: 22.31 ft, major floodingMar 17, 2019: 15.54 ft, moderate flooding; 4,017 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2019: 15.61 ft, moderate flooding; 4,938 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 13.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,590 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2019: 13.33 ft, minor flooding; 2,350 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2021: 13.00 ft, minor flooding; 1,550 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2024: 13.83 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 2026: 13.97 ft, minor flooding; 3,364 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2026: 14.78 ft, minor flooding; 3,219 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.31 ft, Aug 29, 2018 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kickapoo River at Gays Mills 1950s: 1 1960s: 6 1970s: 4 1980s: 3 1990s: 0 2000s: 10 10 2010s: 10 2020s: 4 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, Kickapoo River at Gays Mills
1Aug 29, 201822.31+9.31Major—
2Jun 9, 200820.44+7.44Major—
3Jul 2, 197819.80+6.80Major16,700
4Aug 20, 200719.79+6.79Major—
5Sep 23, 201618.10+5.10Major—
6Jul 22, 201718.08+5.08Major—
7Feb 10, 196616.75+3.75Moderate10,600
8Jun 1, 200016.50+3.50Moderate—
9Apr 3, 198216.10+3.10Moderate—
10Jul 22, 195116.00+3.00Moderate12,500
11Mar 3, 196515.80+2.80Moderate6,920
12Jul 21, 201915.61+2.61Moderate4,938
13Mar 17, 201915.54+2.54Moderate4,017
14Aug 16, 201015.43+2.43Moderate—
15Apr 17, 197315.20+2.20Moderate5,090
16Apr 6, 198115.10+2.10Moderate—
17Jul 3, 202614.78+1.78Minor3,219
18Sep 9, 201614.62+1.62Minor3,051
19May 25, 200414.51+1.51Minor—
20Jul 10, 200014.45+1.45Minor—
21Apr 13, 196514.15+1.15Minor—
22Apr 14, 200114.10+1.10Minor—
23Mar 31, 196214.00+1.00Minor—
24Mar 26, 196314.00+1.00Minor—
25Mar 27, 196714.00+1.00Minor—
26Aug 20, 197514.00+1.00Minor—
27Apr 7, 202613.97+0.97Minor3,364
28Jun 23, 202413.83+0.83Minor—
29Jun 3, 200413.80+0.80Minor—
30Aug 24, 201613.73+0.73Minor—
31Aug 11, 198013.68+0.68Minor—
32Sep 13, 201913.55+0.55Minor2,590
33Jun 14, 200413.45+0.45Minor—
34Mar 8, 200413.40+0.40Minor—
35Sep 23, 201913.33+0.33Minor2,350
36Mar 21, 197213.30+0.30Minor—
37May 7, 200113.05+0.05Minor—
38Jun 26, 202113.000.00Minor1,550

The worst floods along the Kickapoo River

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

August 29, 2018: 22.31 ft here, major flooding

  • OntarioWI · Aug 28, 2018 · 28.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • ViolaWI · Aug 29, 2018 · 23.72 ft · Major · its highest
  • ReadstownWI · Aug 29, 2018 · 23.17 ft · Major · its highest
  • Soldiers GroveWI · Aug 29, 2018 · 21.06 ft · Major
  • SteubenWI · Aug 30, 2018 · 19.84 ft · Major · its highest
  • La FargeWI · Aug 29, 2018 · 19.42 ft · Major · its highest

June 9, 2008: 20.44 ft here, major flooding

  • OntarioWI · Jun 8, 2008 · 21.96 ft · Major
  • ViolaWI · Jun 9, 2008 · 21.25 ft · Major
  • Soldiers GroveWI · Jun 9, 2008 · 21.21 ft · Major
  • ReadstownWI · Jun 9, 2008 · 19.65 ft · Major
  • SteubenWI · Jun 10, 2008 · 19.16 ft · Major
  • La FargeWI · Jun 9, 2008 · 15.78 ft · Major

July 2, 1978: 19.80 ft here, major flooding

  • ViolaWI · Jul 1, 1978 · 21.00 ft · Major
  • Soldiers GroveWI · Jul 2, 1978 · 20.00 ft · Major
  • ReadstownWI · Jul 1, 1978 · 18.20 ft · Major
  • La FargeWI · Jul 1, 1978 · 14.92 ft · Major

Gauges on the Kickapoo River

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

Flood gauges on the Kickapoo River
Gays Mills this gaugeWI13.022.31 ft, Aug 29, 20186
La FargeWI12.019.42 ft, Aug 29, 20185
OntarioWI16.028.50 ft, Aug 28, 20189
ReadstownWI11.023.17 ft, Aug 29, 20187
Soldiers GroveWI13.021.63 ft, Jul 22, 19515
SteubenWI12.019.84 ft, Aug 30, 20185
ViolaWI14.023.72 ft, Aug 29, 20186
WiltonWI6.07.35 ft, Apr 4, 20260

Other gauges in Crawford County

Flood gauges in Crawford County
Soldiers Grove13.021.63 ft, Jul 22, 19515
Steuben12.019.84 ft, Aug 30, 20185
Lock and Dam 9 - Lynxville625.0633.16 ft, Apr 24, 19653

Crawford County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wisconsin

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GMIW3, 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.