Black River near Galesville water level

Name: Black River near Galesville water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Black River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.86ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (41 min ago)

Flow: 791 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Black River near Galesville reads 3.86 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.14 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 8.14 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.58 ft and 3.86 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.79 ftSeptember 25, 2010

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 12.00 ft, still 8.14 ft away.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Flooding mainly impacts wildlands and agricultural pasture land. The approaches on both ends of the County Road VV bridge over the Black River in Jackson County may begin to flood and the bridge gates may be closed.
10.00 ft: The recreational area and boat landing off Highway 35 begins to flood.
3.86 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.79 ft	September 25, 2010
2	16.64 ft	June 21, 1993
3	15.46 ft	September 23, 1980
4	15.14 ft	September 24, 1986
5	14.98 ft	October 27, 2023
6	14.96 ft	September 24, 2016
7	14.95 ft	April 20, 2019
8	14.84 ft	March 8, 1983
9	14.81 ft	August 29, 2021
10	14.76 ft	June 29, 1998

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 65° 36° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 69° 44° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 49° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 71° 50° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 75° 59° 0.02 in Wind 18 mph

25 Sun 61° 42° 0.30 in Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 42° 35° 0.85 in, 21% Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Black River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Black River at NeillsvilleRiver gauge, Black River	3.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	48 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Trempealeau River at DodgeRiver gauge, Trempealeau River	5.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	14 mi
La Crosse River near La CrosseRiver gauge, La Crosse River	2.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	14 mi
Trempealeau River at ArcadiaRiver gauge, Trempealeau River	3.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	17 mi
Mississippi River at WinonaRiver gauge, Mississippi River	5.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	17 mi
Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, Root River	4.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	25 mi
La Crosse River at SpartaRiver gauge, La Crosse River	3.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	25 mi
South Fork Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, South Fork Root River	2.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Silver Creek at State Highway 21 near AngeloRiver gauge, Silver Creek	6.01 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Black River near Galesville?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 8.14 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Black River near Galesville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.86 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Black River near Galesville rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Black River near Galesville normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Black River near Galesville?

The highest level on record is 16.79 ft on September 25, 2010.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05382000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.06028, -91.28722 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	3.86 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional
Flow	791 cfs	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Black River near Galesville (usgs:05382000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/black-river-near-galesville

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer