West Okoboji Lake near Milford, IA
River level and flood forecast · Dickinson County
Normal4.2 ftas of Mon 3:45 PM
The river is 2.3 ft below flood stage (6.5 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 | 9 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 7 ft |
| Flood stage | 6.5 ft |
| Action stage | 6 ft |
| Record crest (July 17, 1993) | 8.66 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 10 ftCounty roads along Milford Creek start flooding, and the pumping station near the Lower Gar Lake outlet begins flooding.
- 8.5 ftWater is over the top of the culvert at the county road crossing the Lower Gar Lake outlet, and moderate flooding of pasture land along Milford Creek begins.
- 7.5 ftFlooding of low lands along Milford Creek begins.
- 6.75 ftWater reaches the floor of the pump house for water supply for Milford and West Okoboji.
- 6.2 ftThe Emergency Lake-wide 5 mph rule on East Okoboji, West Okoboji, Upper Gar, Lower Gar, and Minnewashta lakes is enacted.
Highest crests on record
- 8.66 ft — July 17, 1993
- 8.1 ft — June 25, 2024
- 6.6 ft — July 5, 2018
- 6.25 ft — July 16, 2011
- 6.23 ft — June 24, 1984
Recent crests: 4.77 ft (August 21, 2025) · 8.1 ft (June 25, 2024) · 4.69 ft (May 15, 2023) · 5.24 ft (June 5, 2020) · 5.98 ft (May 31, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Spirit Lake near Orleans, IA
- West Fork Des Moines River at Estherville, IA
- Ocheyedan River near Spencer, IA
- West Fork Des Moines River at Jackson, MN
- Willow Creek (North Central IA) near Cornell, IA
- West Fork Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA
- Little Floyd River near Sanborn, IA
- Little Sioux River at Linn Grove, IA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (OBJI4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.