Big Raccoon Creek at Cecil M. Harden Lake, IN
River level and flood forecast · Parke County
The river is 36.5 ft below flood stage (690 ft).
Forecast to fall to 652.2 ft by Fri, Nov 6, 5 AM.
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Tue, Nov 3, 9:43 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
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An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Big Raccoon Creek at Cecil M. Harden Lake to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 690 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 690 ft |
| Flood stage | 690 ft |
| Near flood stage | 690 ft |
| Record crest (July 21, 2015) | 690.08 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 712 ftTop of dam and dike.
- 710 ftTop of dam.
- 693 ftU.S. Highway 36 road surface under water. Old US 36 flooded. Access roads to Parkwood Hills, Hartman's and Knollwood subdivisions and several county roads flooded. Access to at least 40 trailers and 3 homes blocked by high water.
- 690 ftFlood Pool - Spillway Crest. Lake covers 3,910 acres and extends for 15.5 miles. There is a 10% annual chance of occurrence of this level.
- 685 ftCrooks-Byers subdivision's access road flooded. Corps picnic area under water.
- 684 ftKnollwood access road under water. Trailers in Nevin's Camp flooded.
- 683 ftTrailer in Hartman's Camp flooded. Calvert Picnic Shelter at Portland Mills inundated.
- 681 ftWater at toe of dike.
- 680 ftRaccoon State Recreation Area Beach House flooded.
- 678 ftWalker Boat Ramp flooded.
- 677 ftHollandsburg and Mansfield ramps closed. Stored Emergency Gate under water. There is a 20% annual chance of occurrence of this level.
- 675 ftHollandsburg ramp flooded. Portland Mills ramp closed. Jib Crane boom is under water.
- 669 ftMansfield and Portland Mills ramps flooded. Raccoon State Recreation Area beach, marine, and beach picnic shelter flooded.
- 664 ftBack platform of tower is under water.
- 662 ftSummer pool elevation. Lake covers 2,060 acres and extends 10.3 miles. There is a 100% annual chance of occurrence of this level.
- 660 ftWest Rental Docks at Raccoon State Recreation Area inoperable.
- 659 ftDiving platform at Racoon State Recreation Area is inoperable. Portland Mills rental boat ties inoperable.
- 658 ftPortland Mills ramp inoperable. Gas Service dock at Raccoon State Recreational Area inoperable.
- 657.5 ftRental Boat Ties at Raccoon State Recreational Area inoperable.
- 656 ftBeach at Raccoon State Recreational Area inoperable.
- 655 ftEast Rental Docks at Raccoon State Recreational Area are inoperable between 653 and 655 pool elevation.
- 647 ftWalker Boat Ramp is inoperable between 646 and 647 pool elevation.
- 646 ftMansfield and Hollandsburg Boat Ramps are inoperable between 644 and 646 pool elevation.
- 640 ftWinter pool elevation. Lake covers only 1,100 acres and extends 6.7 miles.
Highest crests on record
- 690.08 ft — July 21, 2015
- 689.9 ft — May 14, 2002
- 687.55 ft — June 11, 2008
- 686.27 ft — April 28, 2013
- 684.64 ft — May 13, 1996
Recent crests: 667.73 ft (April 16, 2025) · 664.11 ft (April 24, 2024) · 663.27 ft (August 12, 2023) · 669.09 ft (April 4, 2022) · 666.9 ft (November 5, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamBig Raccoon Creek near Fincastle, IN
- DownstreamBig Raccoon Creek at Ferndale, IN
- Big Raccoon Creek at Coxville, IN
- Big Walnut Creek (IN) near Reelsville, IN
- Wabash River at Montezuma, IN
- Mill Creek (IN) at Cagles Mill, IN
- Mill Creek (IN) at Cagles Mill Lake, IN
- Big Walnut Creek (IN) near Roachdale, IN
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CHLI3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.