La Crosse River at Sparta water level

Name: La Crosse River at Sparta 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, La Crosse River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.88ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 PM CDT (48 min ago)

Flow: 182 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at La Crosse River at Sparta, where the gauge shows 3.88 ft.

It is 4.62 ft below the flood stage of 8.50 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.85 ft – 4.12 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: 12.26 ftJuly 20, 2017

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 8.50 ft.

What happens at each level

12.30 ft: Water reaches into Evans Bosshard Park.
12.00 ft: Water begins going over a few roads in Sparta.
8.50 ft: Water begins to flood yards adjacent to the river in Sparta.
3.88 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.26 ft	July 20, 2017
2	11.01 ft	June 17, 2004
3	10.71 ft	August 29, 2018
4	9.38 ft	July 2, 2026
5	9.09 ft	March 15, 2019
6	8.99 ft	June 27, 2025
7	8.94 ft	June 28, 1998
8	8.78 ft	June 20, 1993
9	8.78 ft	September 22, 2016
10	8.66 ft	July 14, 2024

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 67° 39° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 42° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 69° 44° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 72° 52° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 71° 53° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 71° 59° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 62° 49° 0.06 in Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the La Crosse River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
La Crosse River near La CrosseRiver gauge, La Crosse River	2.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	21 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Silver Creek at State Highway 21 near AngeloRiver gauge, Silver Creek	6.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	3.1 mi
La Crosse River @ Cnty Trunk Highwy Bb near TomahRiver gauge, La Crosse River @ Cnty Trunk Highwy Bb	6.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	6.1 mi
Stillwell Creek at Yard Road near TomahRiver gauge, Stillwell Creek	1.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	8 mi
Stillwell Creek at Sixteenth Court near TomahRiver gauge, Stillwell Creek	1.30 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Kickapoo R @ St Highway 131 at OntarioRiver gauge, Kickapoo R @ St Highway 131	8.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Black River Ds St Highway 54 at Black River FallsRiver gauge, Black River Ds St Highway 54	36.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	25 mi
Black River near GalesvilleRiver gauge, Black River	3.82 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	25 mi
Kickapoo River at La FargeRiver gauge, Kickapoo River	3.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the La Crosse River at Sparta?

The official flood stage is 8.50 ft. The level is currently 4.62 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 La Crosse River at Sparta today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.88 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is La Crosse River at Sparta rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of La Crosse River at Sparta normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at La Crosse River at Sparta?

The highest level on record is 12.26 ft on July 20, 2017.

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:05382325 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.93750, -90.81056 (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	3.88 ft	2026-10-19 23:00	Provisional
Flow	182 cfs	2026-10-19 23:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: La Crosse River at Sparta (usgs:05382325). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/la-crosse-river-at-sparta

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