Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids water level

Name: Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids 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

2.65ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1,520 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids, where the gauge shows 2.65 ft.

It is 9.35 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.29 ft – 2.82 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: 18.80 ftJune 15, 1880

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

15.50 ft: Up to 3 feet of water is covering 2nd Avenue near the State Office Building. Up to 3 feet of water covers 1st and 2nd Streets with floodwaters spreading into 3rd Street and Market Street. The Grand Avenue and Jackson Street bridges may be impacted.
14.80 ft: The water current is extremely dangerous at 78500 cubic feet per second downstream of the dam. Floodwaters are near the bottom of the Jackson Street and Grand Avenue bridges. Up to 2 feet of water covers 1st and 2nd Streets and floodwaters reach the county courthouse. Up to 2 feet of water cover sections of Gaynor Avenue and South Second Avenue near a roundabout by the state office building.
14.50 ft: Up to a foot of water covers portions of 2nd Avenue near Gaynor Avenue and up to a foot of water covers 1st and 2nd Streets just downstream of the dam.
13.50 ft: Floodwaters cover 1st Street and approach 2nd Street. Floodwaters also approach 2nd Avenue near Gaynor Avenue. The current is fast, especially downstream of the dam.
12.00 ft: Water is near a building at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Gaynor Avenue. Playground equipment in Lions Park is surrounded by water.
10.00 ft: Water covers a walkway in Lions Park in Wisconsin Rapids. Flood stage is at 12 feet.
8.50 ft: Water approaches a few trees in low-lying areas.
2.65 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	18.80 ft	June 15, 1880
2	14.80 ft	September 25, 2010
3	14.10 ft	March 24, 1935
4	14.00 ft	September 12, 1938
5	13.68 ft	April 19, 2019
6	13.60 ft	October 8, 1911
7	13.50 ft	April 11, 1922
8	13.40 ft	September 11, 1938
9	12.90 ft	April 12, 2011
10	12.80 ft	April 13, 1965

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 62° 39° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 67° 41° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 69° 52° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 69° 52° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 71° 57° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 64° 50° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 51° 36° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:21 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 47 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Wisconsin River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wisconsin River at MerrillRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	3.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	55 mi
Wisconsin River at RothschildRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	13.24 ft	Below flood stage	+0.26 ft	35 mi
Wisconsin River at MosineeRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	12.34 ft	No reference yet	+0.57 ft	29 mi
Wisconsin River below Castle Rock Dam near MaustonRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	10.84 ft	No reference yet	+0.41 ft	38 mi
Wisconsin River near Wisconsin DellsRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	+0.46 ft	55 mi
Wisconsin River at MuscodaRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	1.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	88 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tenmile Creek near NekoosaRiver gauge, Tenmile Creek	4.69 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Yellow River at BabcockRiver gauge, Yellow River	2.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	16 mi
S.br.tenmile Creek near BancroftRiver gauge, S.br.tenmile Creek	9.9 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	16 mi
Little Plover River near PloverRiver gauge, Little Plover River	7.9 cfs	High	+0.3 cfs	17 mi
Big Roche A Cri Creek at Highway G near LeolaRiver gauge, Big Roche A Cri Creek	22.5 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	18 mi
Lake Huron near PlainfieldLake, Lake Huron	1,092.11 ft	Very low	±0	24 mi
Tomorrow River near NelsonvilleRiver gauge, Tomorrow River	32.2 cfs	Normal	−2.4 cfs	26 mi
Yellow River at NecedahRiver gauge, Yellow River	9.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 9.35 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 Wisconsin Rapids today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT, the water level was 2.65 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids 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 Wisconsin Rapids?

The highest level on record is 18.80 ft on June 15, 1880.

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:05400760 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.39216, -89.82712 (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	2.65 ft	2026-10-20 11:00	Provisional
Flow	1,520 cfs	2026-10-20 11:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids (usgs:05400760). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/wisconsin-river-at-wisconsin-rapids

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