Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland water level

Name: Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Lake Waubesa, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Surface elevation

844.47ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT (50 min ago)

Water level: 4.56 ft

History

7 days

Surface elevation

What this means

Water is short at Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland: the latest reading of 844.47 ft is below normal for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 844.41 ft – 844.50 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Boating and fishing at Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland

At low levels, launching can mean a long walk or a closed ramp, and shallow points stick out further than charts suggest.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

What happens at each level

844.47 ft: Right now
7.50 ft: There is minor lowland flooding.

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.49 in.

18 Sun 61° 39° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 66° 42° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 66° 45° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 45° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 64° 52° 0.01 in Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 52° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 70° 55° 0.05 in Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yahara River @ Exchange St Bridge at Mc FarlandRiver gauge, Yahara River @ Exchange St Bridge	3.98 ft	No reference yet	−0.12 ft	0.3 mi
Swan Creek at Lalor Road near FitchburgRiver gauge, Swan Creek	2.4 cfs	Normal	±0	2.9 mi
Pennito Creek at Femrite Dr at MadisonRiver gauge, Pennito Creek	0.87 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	3.2 mi
Lake Kegonsa at Barber Drive near StoughtonLake, Lake Kegonsa	3.20 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	4.0 mi
Acewood Pond at Bonnie Ln at MadisonLake, Acewood Pond	−0.01 ft	No reference yet	−0.17 ft	4.9 mi
Control structure near Martin St at MadisonRiver gauge, Control structure	1.00 ft	No reference yet	±0	5.8 mi
Yahara River at East Main Street at MadisonRiver gauge, Yahara River	218 cfs	Normal	+8.0 cfs	6 mi
Lake Mendota at MadisonLake, Lake Mendota	9.86 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland really 844.47 ft deep?

No. 844.47 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

What is the water level of Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT, the surface elevation was 844.47 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05429485 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.00889, -89.30528 (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
Surface elevation	844.47 ft	2026-10-19 17:00	Provisional
Water level	4.56 ft	2026-10-19 17:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Waubesa at Mc Farland (usgs:05429485). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/lake-waubesa-at-mc-farland

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