Spirit Lake near Orleans, IA
River level and flood forecast · Dickinson County
Normal14.3 ftas of Mon 2:15 PM
The river is 1.7 ft below flood stage (16 ft).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 19 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 17 ft |
| Flood stage | 16 ft |
| Action stage | 15.5 ft |
| Record crest (July 18, 1993) | 18.79 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 20 ftYards and basements of homes along the lake shore start flooding.
- 17 ftWater overflows the spillway channel, and camping areas, parks, and parking lots start to flood.
- 16 ftThe Emergency Lake-wide 5 mph rule on Big Spirit Lake is enacted.
- 14.2 ftWater from Spirit Lake starts going over the spillway into East Okoboji Lake.
Highest crests on record
- 18.79 ft — July 18, 1993
- 16.48 ft — June 25, 2024
- 15.94 ft — July 5, 2018
- 15.76 ft — April 12, 1995
- 15.72 ft — July 10, 1969
Recent crests: 14.74 ft (August 21, 2025) · 16.48 ft (June 25, 2024) · 14.7 ft (May 14, 2023) · 15.03 ft (April 1, 2020) · 15.58 ft (March 26, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- West Okoboji Lake near Milford, IA
- West Fork Des Moines River at Jackson, MN
- West Fork Des Moines River at Estherville, IA
- Ocheyedan River near Spencer, IA
- West Fork Des Moines River above Windom, MN
- West Fork Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA
- Willow Creek (North Central IA) near Cornell, IA
- Little Floyd River near Sanborn, IA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (SLKI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.