Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Turtle Creek near Clinton

Highest listed crest 15.30 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft49 crests since 1938

The Turtle Creek near Clinton crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2026. The highest, 15.30 ft on April 21, 1973, was major flooding, 7.30 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Turtle Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.30 ft
April 21, 1973; 16,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
2
46th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 16, 2026
9.61 ft, minor flooding
Location
Rock County
Near Beloit (10.9 mi), Janesville (11.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Turtle Creek near Clinton
Action stage6.021Apr 5, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.021Apr 16, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.01Jun 26, 2013Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.02Apr 21, 1973Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1938 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Turtle Creek near Clinton, 1938 to 2026 46810121416ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Jan 24, 1938: 13.50 ft, major flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1973: 15.30 ft, major flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1982: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 3,340 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1983: 7.01 ft, action stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1984: 7.00 ft, action stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1986: 9.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,120 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1988: 9.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1989: 6.98 ft, action stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1993: 10.38 ft, minor flooding; 5,580 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1994: 10.27 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1996: 6.98 ft, action stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 9.56 ft, minor flooding; 3,070 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1998: 8.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,290 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1999: 8.12 ft, minor flooding; 1,760 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2000: 7.97 ft, action stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2001: 6.57 ft, action stage; 947 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2002: 6.74 ft, action stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2003: 5.70 ft, below flood stage; 620 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2004: 6.37 ft, action stage; 858 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2005: 7.68 ft, action stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2006: 8.04 ft, minor flooding; 1,710 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2007: 9.63 ft, minor flooding; 3,130 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2008: 7.24 ft, action stage; 1,260 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2008: 8.54 ft, minor flooding; 2,010 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2008: 10.07 ft, minor flooding; 3,650 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2008: 6.72 ft, action stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2009: 7.98 ft, action stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 2010: 7.19 ft, action stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2011: 6.32 ft, action stage; 850 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 2011: 5.66 ft, below flood stage; 607 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2013: 11.78 ft, moderate flooding; 5,580 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2014: 6.65 ft, action stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2015: 6.59 ft, action stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 2015: 7.09 ft, action stageJan 17, 2017: 7.28 ft, action stage; 1,386 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2017: 7.47 ft, action stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 10.65 ft, minor flooding; 4,220 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2018: 9.83 ft, minor flooding; 3,356 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2018: 9.85 ft, minor flooding; 3,376 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2019: 8.10 ft, minor flooding; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2019: 8.70 ft, minor flooding; 2,441 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 10.59 ft, minor flooding; 4,210 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2019: 8.81 ft, minor flooding; 2,530 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2020: 7.94 ft, action stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2021: 5.67 ft, below flood stage; 778 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2022: 5.49 ft, below flood stage; 572 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2023: 7.27 ft, action stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2024: 8.54 ft, minor flooding; 2,360 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2026: 9.61 ft, minor flooding; 3,255 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.30 ft, Apr 21, 1973 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Turtle Creek near Clinton 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 4 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 2 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

Highest listed crests, Turtle Creek near Clinton
1Apr 21, 197315.30+7.30Major16,500
2Jan 24, 193813.50+5.50Major10,700
3Jun 26, 201311.78+3.78Moderate5,580
4Feb 20, 201810.65+2.65Minor4,220
5Sep 13, 201910.59+2.59Minor4,210
6Jun 30, 199310.38+2.38Minor5,580
7Feb 20, 199410.27+2.27Minor4,600
8Jul 12, 200810.07+2.07Minor3,650
9Oct 6, 20189.85+1.85Minor3,376
10Jun 19, 20189.83+1.83Minor3,356
11Aug 20, 20079.63+1.63Minor3,130
12Apr 16, 20269.61+1.61Minor3,255
13Feb 21, 19979.56+1.56Minor3,070
14Jul 22, 19829.25+1.25Minor3,340
15Mar 10, 19869.10+1.10Minor3,120
16Jan 31, 19889.02+1.02Minor1,500
17Aug 6, 19988.92+0.92Minor2,290
18Oct 2, 20198.81+0.81Minor2,530
19Mar 13, 20198.70+0.70Minor2,441
20Jun 13, 20088.54+0.54Minor2,010
21Apr 3, 20248.54+0.54Minor2,360
22Apr 23, 19998.12+0.12Minor1,760
23Feb 9, 20198.10+0.10Minor1,970
24Mar 13, 20068.04+0.04Minor1,710
25Jun 20, 20097.98−0.02Action1,670
26Jun 13, 20007.97−0.03Action1,670
27Mar 29, 20207.94−0.06Action1,860
28Feb 14, 20057.68−0.32Action1,490
29Jul 22, 20177.47−0.53Action1,500
30Jan 17, 20177.28−0.72Action1,386
31Apr 5, 20237.27−0.73Action1,380
32Apr 11, 20087.24−0.76Action1,260
33Jan 29, 20107.19−0.81Action1,240
34Nov 27, 20157.09−0.91Action—
35Apr 2, 19837.01−0.99Action1,180
36Feb 13, 19847.00−1.00Action1,190
37Mar 11, 19896.98−1.02Action1,170
38Jun 7, 19966.98−1.02Action1,170
39Jun 5, 20026.74−1.26Action1,020
40Dec 18, 20086.72−1.28Action1,080
41Mar 15, 20146.65−1.35Action1,060
42Jun 15, 20156.59−1.41Action1,030
43Jun 12, 20016.57−1.43Action947
44May 23, 20046.37−1.63Action858
45Mar 5, 20116.32−1.68Action850
46Jul 15, 20035.70−2.30Below flood stage620
47Mar 10, 20215.67−2.33Below flood stage778
48Nov 9, 20115.66−2.34Below flood stage607
49Sep 12, 20225.49−2.51Below flood stage572

The worst floods along the Turtle Creek

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

April 21, 1973: 15.30 ft here, major flooding

  • Beloit-3 NEWI · Apr 21, 1973 · 14.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • BeloitWI · Apr 21, 1973 · 13.00 ft · Major · its highest

June 26, 2013: 11.78 ft here, moderate flooding

February 20, 2018: 10.65 ft here, minor flooding

  • BeloitWI · Feb 21, 2018 · 11.70 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Turtle Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Turtle Creek
BeloitWI7.513.00 ft, Apr 21, 19731
Beloit-3 NEWI9.014.20 ft, Apr 21, 19731
Clinton this gaugeWI8.015.30 ft, Apr 21, 19732

Other gauges in Rock County

Flood gauges in Rock County
Afton9.013.51 ft, Jun 21, 20083
Newville6.58.51 ft, Apr 23, 20131
Beloit7.513.00 ft, Apr 21, 19731
Beloit-3 NE9.014.20 ft, Apr 21, 19731
Fulton10.012.07 ft, Jun 26, 20131

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLIW3, 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.