Fox River at Rochester water level

Name: Fox River at Rochester 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, Fox River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.45ft Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT (34 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The Fox River at Rochester is at 4.45 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.49 ft, based on 11 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.04 ft below typical. It is 1.55 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.64 ft, a difference of −0.19 ft.

It has dropped 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.55 ft and 4.67 ft.

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

Compared with 11 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.49 ft0.04 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.83 ft – 4.81 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (11 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.64 ft−0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.55 ft – 4.67 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.45 ft – 6.18 ft
Highest on record: 6.29 ftApril 21, 2026

Floating and fishing near Fox River at Rochester

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 6.00 ft, 1.55 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

8.00 ft: Floodwaters are well into Whitford Athletic Park upstream in Waterford. Floodwaters are well into the back yards of homes in the Rochester and Waterford areas. Floodwaters start to affect some roads in the Rochester and Waterford areas.
6.50 ft: Many back yards of homes in the Rochester and Waterford areas are flooded. Floodwaters affect parts of Whitford Athletic Park in Waterford.
5.25 ft: Floodwaters affect back yards and water approaches some homes in the Rochester and Waterford areas.
5.00 ft: There is general overflow of the lowest river banks in the Rochester and Waterford areas resulting in minor lowland flooding.
4.45 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	6.29 ft	April 21, 2026
2	5.75 ft	April 18, 2013
3	5.62 ft	October 27, 2019
4	5.50 ft	April 2, 2011
5	5.47 ft	December 2, 2018
6	5.40 ft	May 13, 2018
7	5.22 ft	April 14, 2014
8	5.19 ft	March 16, 2015
9	5.18 ft	July 12, 2025
10	5.03 ft	August 10, 2025

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.59 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 41° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 65° 40° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 66° 41° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 68° 46° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 70° 51° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 69° 55° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:13 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on the Fox River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fox River at PrincetonRiver gauge, Fox River	5.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	89 mi
Fox River at OshkoshRiver gauge, Fox River	6.34 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	89 mi
Fox River at WaukeshaRiver gauge, Fox River	3.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Fox River at Waterford Dam, at WaterfordRiver gauge, Fox River	1.78 ft	Very high	+0.03 ft	1.8 mi
Fox River near New MunsterRiver gauge, Fox River	6.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.14 ft	9 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River	4.07 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	25 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River	4.09 ft	High	+0.10 ft	30 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River	1.74 ft	High	+0.05 ft	40 mi
Fox River at South ElginRiver gauge, Fox River	12.64 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	52 mi
Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater)River gauge, Fox River	6.78 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	52 mi
Fox River at MontgomeryRiver gauge, Fox River	11.64 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	70 mi
Fox River at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River	12.92 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	77 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wind Lake at Outlet at Wind LakeLake, Wind Lake	7.66 ft	High	+2.68 ft	7 mi
Muskego (Big Muskego) Lake Outlet near Wind LakeRiver gauge, Muskego (Big Muskego) Lake Outlet	11.73 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Mukwonago River at MukwonagoRiver gauge, Mukwonago River	2.41 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	10 mi
Root River Canal near FranklinCanal gauge, Root River Canal	2.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	13 mi
Root River near FranklinRiver gauge, Root River	2.52 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	15 mi
Geneva Lake at Lake GenevaLake, Geneva Lake	2.49 ft	High	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Elizabeth Lake at Twin LakesLake, Elizabeth Lake	794.09 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Root River at Grange Avenue at GreendaleRiver gauge, Root River	4.7 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	18 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Fox River at Rochester higher than last year?

No, it is 0.19 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.64 ft.

What is flood stage for the Fox River at Rochester?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 1.55 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Fox River at Rochester in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.83 ft and 4.81 ft, based on 11 years of records.

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 Fox River at Rochester today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT, the water level was 4.45 ft. Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Fox River at Rochester rising or falling?

Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.24 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Fox River at Rochester normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 11 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05544475 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.74119, -88.22450 (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	4.45 ft	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fox River at Rochester (usgs:05544475). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/fox-river-at-rochester

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