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Spirit River near Spirit Falls

Highest listed crest 10.00 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft20 crests since 1942

The Spirit River near Spirit Falls crested above flood stage 7 times among the 20 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2023. The highest, 10.00 ft on September 18, 1942, was moderate flooding, 2.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.00 ft
September 18, 1942; 4,180 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 12, 2023
8.22 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lincoln County
Wisconsin

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Spirit River near Spirit Falls
Action stage5.013Apr 13, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.06Apr 12, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.51Sep 18, 1942Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

20 crests from 1942 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Spirit River near Spirit Falls, 1942 to 2023 4681012ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Sep 18, 1942: 10.00 ft, moderate flooding; 4,180 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1946: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1965: 8.87 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1967: 7.91 ft, action stage; 2,960 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1986: 7.87 ft, action stage; 2,970 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1994: 8.66 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1996: 7.85 ft, action stage; 3,130 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1997: 7.93 ft, action stage; 3,245 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2002: 8.13 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 2005: 8.22 ft, minor floodingApr 11, 2011: 7.35 ft, action stage; 2,830 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2016: 7.64 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 2016: 6.80 ft, action stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2017: 7.95 ft, action stage; 2,990 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2018: 5.93 ft, action stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2019: 6.92 ft, action stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2020: 6.99 ft, action stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2021: 5.12 ft, action stage; 992 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2022: 7.65 ft, action stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2023: 8.22 ft, minor flooding; 4,180 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.00 ft, Sep 18, 1942 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Spirit River near Spirit Falls 1940s: 2 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Spirit River near Spirit Falls
1Sep 18, 194210.00+2.00Moderate4,180
2Mar 17, 19469.14+1.14Minor3,540
3Apr 14, 19658.87+0.87Minor1,500
4Sep 15, 19948.66+0.66Minor—
5Apr 1, 20058.22+0.22Minor—
6Apr 12, 20238.22+0.22Minor4,180
7Apr 11, 20028.13+0.13Minor—
8May 18, 20177.95−0.05Action2,990
9Apr 3, 19977.93−0.07Action3,245
10Apr 2, 19677.91−0.09Action2,960
11Sep 27, 19867.87−0.13Action2,970
12Apr 20, 19967.85−0.15Action3,130
13Apr 13, 20227.65−0.35Action2,550
14Mar 16, 20167.64−0.36Action2,900
15Apr 11, 20117.35−0.65Action2,830
16Jun 10, 20206.99−1.01Action2,200
17Apr 18, 20196.92−1.08Action2,080
18Oct 18, 20166.80−1.20Action2,010
19Apr 25, 20185.93−2.07Action1,480
20Aug 9, 20215.12−2.88Action992

Other gauges in Lincoln County

Flood gauges in Lincoln County
Merrill7.09.45 ft, Aug 31, 19410
Merrill11.018.26 ft, Aug 31, 19412
Alexander Dam1,259.01,260.53 ft, Apr 14, 20230

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TRIW3, 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.