Sugar River near Brodhead water level

Name: Sugar River near Brodhead 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, Sugar River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.46ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 414 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Sugar River near Brodhead is at 1.46 ft, in the normal range.

It is 3.54 ft below the flood stage of 5.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.46 ft and 1.77 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: 11.40 ftSeptember 13, 1915

Floating and fishing near Sugar River near Brodhead

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

Flood stage here is 5.00 ft, 3.54 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: In Illinois, residences at the west end of Haas Rd northwest of Shirland and structures at Sugar Shores Camping Resort may be threatened. Hwy T, Beloit Newark Rd, S Hopkins Rd and Sugar River Park are flooded. Widespread inundation of the floodplain may reach over 1 mile from the river between Durand and Shirland.
12.00 ft: Hwy T, Beloit Newark Rd, S Hopkins Rd, and Sugar River Park are flooded. In Illinois, Yale Bridge Rd may be threatened west of the river northwest of Shirland. In Illinois, Winslow Rd is threatened near the river between Durand and Shirland.
9.00 ft: There is widespread flooding of lowland in the Brodhead area. In the Avon Bottoms area of Rock County, there is flooding in Sugar River Park and Beloit Newark Rd. Floodwaters are over Highway T in Rock County. In Illinois, Winslow Rd is threatened near the river between Durand and Shirland. Low lying areas of Sugar Shores Camping Resort may be inundated.
8.80 ft: There is widespread agricultural land flooding in the Brodhead area. Downstream in the Avon Bottoms area of Rock County, there is flooding in Sugar River Park, Beloit Newark Rd, S Nelson Rd, and S Hopkins Rd. Floodwaters are over Highway T in Rock County. Structures at Sugar Shores Camping Resort may be threatened. Winslow Rd is threatened near the river between Durand and Shirland.
8.00 ft: Floodwaters are over Highway T, Beloit Newark Rd, S Nelson Rd, S Hopkins Rd, and there is flooding in Sugar River Park in the Avon Bottoms area of Rock County. There is widespread agricultural and lowland flooding in the Brodhead area. In Illinois, structures at Sugar Shores Camping Resort may be threatened. Winslow Rd is threatened near the river between Durand and Shirland.
7.50 ft: There is widespread agricultural and lowland flooding in the Brodhead area. Downstream in the Avon Bottoms area of Rock County, there is flooding in Sugar River Park, Beloit Newark Rd and S Hopkins Rd. Water flows over the road on both sides of the S Nelson Rd bridge. In Illinois, Winslow Rd is threatened near the river between Durand and Shirland. Low lying areas of Sugar Shores Camping Resort may be inundated.
7.00 ft: Some roads are flooded about 6 miles downstream in Avon Township of Rock County, including Beloit Newark Rd. Water over the road on both sides of the S Nelson Rd bridge. In Illinois, Winslow Rd is threatened near the river between Durand and Shirland. Low lying areas of Sugar Shores Camping Resort may be inundated.
6.50 ft: There is widespread flooding of lowland and agricultural land. Downstream in the Avon Bottoms area of Rock County, there is flooding in Sugar River Park. Some roads are flooded in Avon Township, including Beloit Newark Rd, about 6 miles downstream of Brodhead. Water over the road on both sides of the S Nelson Rd bridge. In Illinois, Winslow Rd is threatened near the river between Durand and Shirland. Low lying areas of Sugar Shores Camping Resort may be inundated.
6.00 ft: Some roads are flooded about 6 miles downstream in Avon Township of Rock County, including Beloit Newark Rd. In the Avon Bottoms area of Rock County, flooding is occurring in Sugar River Park. Water over the road on both sides of the S Nelson Rd bridge. In Illinois, Winslow Rd is threatened near the river between Durand and Shirland. Low lying areas of Sugar Shores Camping Resort may be inundated.
5.50 ft: Some roads are flooded about 6 miles downstream in Avon Township in Rock County. In the Avon Bottoms area of Rock County, flooding is occurring in Sugar River Park.
5.00 ft: Some roads become flooded about 6 miles downstream in Avon Township in Rock County. In the Avon Bottoms area of Rock County, some minor flooding develops in Sugar River Park, including the boat ramp.
4.50 ft: In Illinois, low-lying areas in the Sugar River Forest Preserve and Colored Sands Forest Preserve may be inundated.
1.46 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: 23 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.40 ft	September 13, 1915
2	10.20 ft	March 15, 2019
3	10.07 ft	March 5, 1937
4	10.00 ft	March 14, 1929
5	9.90 ft	February 6, 1938
6	9.86 ft	March 16, 1943
7	9.80 ft	February 28, 1948
8	9.78 ft	February 23, 1922
9	9.76 ft	March 22, 1975
10	9.76 ft	February 22, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 65° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 64° 41° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 67° 47° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 70° 51° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 70° 51° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 69° 53° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 64° 50° 0.02 in Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Sugar River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sugar River near VeronaRiver gauge, Sugar River	42.4 cfs	Low	−4.9 cfs	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pecatonica River near ShirlandRiver gauge, Pecatonica River	6.21 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Rock River at AftonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.46 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	17 mi
Badfish Creek near CooksvilleRiver gauge, Badfish Creek	102 cfs	Normal	+2.0 cfs	18 mi
Yahara River near FultonRiver gauge, Yahara River	4.55 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	19 mi
Rock River at RocktonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.20 ft	High	−0.06 ft	20 mi
Pecatonica River at MartintownRiver gauge, Pecatonica River	6.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	22 mi
Yahara River @ Forton Street Bridge @ StoughtonRiver gauge	264 cfs	Normal	+9.0 cfs	23 mi
Rock River at Latham ParkRiver gauge, Rock River	5.32 ft	High	−0.01 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Sugar River near Brodhead?

The official flood stage is 5.00 ft. The level is currently 3.54 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 Sugar River near Brodhead today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.46 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Sugar River near Brodhead rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Sugar River near Brodhead normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Sugar River near Brodhead?

The highest level on record is 11.40 ft on September 13, 1915.

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:05436500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.61231, -89.39797 (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	1.46 ft	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional
Flow	414 cfs	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sugar River near Brodhead (usgs:05436500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/sugar-river-near-brodhead

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