Wisconsin River at Muscoda water level

Name: Wisconsin River at Muscoda 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, Wisconsin River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.25ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT (28 min ago)

Flow: 5,370 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Wisconsin River at Muscoda is at 1.25 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.75 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

It has risen 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 7.75 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 1.17 ft and 1.38 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: 11.48 ftSeptember 16, 1938

Floating and fishing near Wisconsin River at Muscoda

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

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 7.75 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.80 ft: The water reaches the low steel on the Highway 80 Bridge over the river.
11.00 ft: Widespread lowland flooding is likely, but the town of Muscoda should remain above the flood waters.
10.00 ft: There is extensive lowland flooding. However no flooding has been reported in Muscoda in previous years.
9.60 ft: Homes on W Lakeshore Drive and E Lakeshore Drive along Avoca Lake (inlet of Wisconsin River) begin sandbagging.
9.50 ft: Flooding may impact some homes in Boscobel.
9.00 ft: The river begins to go out of its banks in some locations with only minor flooding.
1.25 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	11.48 ft	September 16, 1938
2	11.10 ft	June 11, 1881
3	10.60 ft	April 16, 1922
4	10.36 ft	March 20, 1973
5	10.34 ft	June 26, 1993
6	10.17 ft	May 12, 1960
7	10.10 ft	April 2, 1920
8	9.95 ft	April 14, 1951
9	9.90 ft	March 29, 1935
10	9.83 ft	April 19, 2026

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 68° 40° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 67° 42° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 69° 45° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 70° 50° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 51° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 70° 57° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 65° 51° 0.01 in Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:12 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Wisconsin River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wisconsin River at MerrillRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	3.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	142 mi
Wisconsin River at RothschildRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	13.24 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	123 mi
Wisconsin River at MosineeRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	12.33 ft	No reference yet	+0.25 ft	116 mi
Wisconsin River at Wisconsin RapidsRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	2.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	88 mi
Wisconsin River below Castle Rock Dam near MaustonRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	10.71 ft	No reference yet	+0.32 ft	52 mi
Wisconsin River near Wisconsin DellsRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	+0.53 ft	44 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kickapoo River at SteubenRiver gauge, Kickapoo River	6.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	21 mi
Kickapoo River at La FargeRiver gauge, Kickapoo River	3.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	28 mi
Baraboo River at La ValleRiver gauge, Baraboo River	5.98 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Baraboo River at Main Street at ReedsburgRiver gauge, Baraboo River	5.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	32 mi
Platte River near RockvilleRiver gauge, Platte River	4.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	34 mi
Black Earth Creek at Black EarthRiver gauge, Black Earth Creek	2.15 ft	Below flood stage	±0	36 mi
Kickapoo R @ St Highway 131 at OntarioRiver gauge, Kickapoo R @ St Highway 131	8.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	37 mi
Grant River at BurtonRiver gauge, Grant River	6.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wisconsin River at Muscoda?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.75 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 Wisconsin River at Muscoda today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.25 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Wisconsin River at Muscoda rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wisconsin River at Muscoda normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wisconsin River at Muscoda?

The highest level on record is 11.48 ft on September 16, 1938.

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:05407000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.19806, -90.44333 (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	1.25 ft	2026-10-20 20:00	Provisional
Flow	5,370 cfs	2026-10-20 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wisconsin River at Muscoda (usgs:05407000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/wisconsin-river-at-muscoda

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