Bad River at Odanah water level

Name: Bad River at Odanah 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, Bad River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.05ft Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 65.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 2.05 ft, the Bad River at Odanah is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.82 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.77 ft below typical. It is 6.45 ft below the flood stage of 8.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.00 ft, a difference of +0.05 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.62 ft and 2.81 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.82 ft0.77 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.73 ft – 3.68 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.00 ft+0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.62 ft – 2.81 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.06 ft – 6.47 ft
Highest on record: 11.78 ftJuly 12, 2016

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 8.50 ft, still 6.45 ft away.

What happens at each level

11.78 ft: Flood of 2016 high water mark. Major flooding to US Highway 2. Water over the bridge on Government Road.
9.30 ft: Water begins to flow onto US Highway 2 .35 Miles East of Government Road. Water floods Kakagon Slough causing water to encroach on the Fish hatchery and homes on Kakagon Rd. Water begins flooding the Pow wow grounds.
9.00 ft: Many roads and several homes are impacted by flood waters in the Old Odanah area. Government Road south of US Highway 2, Miller Road and State Road will see areas of water flowing over the roadway.
8.50 ft: Minor flooding begins as water encroaches on State Street through the Sugar Bush.
2.05 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	11.78 ft	July 12, 2016
2	9.33 ft	June 18, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.69 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 32° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 64° 45° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 56° 39° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 64° 45° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 50° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 57° 50° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 67° 51° 0.03 in Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Bad River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bad River near OdanahRiver gauge, Bad River	2.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	9 mi
Bad River at The Mouth near OdanahRiver gauge, Bad River	10.17 ft	No reference yet	−0.09 ft	2.5 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Denomie Creek at Maple Street near OdanahRiver gauge, Denomie Creek	5.91 ft	No reference yet	−0.03 ft	1.8 mi
White River near AshlandRiver gauge, White River	167 cfs	Low	−20.0 cfs	13 mi
Whittlesey Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, Whittlesey Creek	17.1 cfs	Very low	−0.8 cfs	13 mi
Marengo River near MellenRiver gauge, Marengo River	52.7 cfs	Low	−2.2 cfs	14 mi
Tyler Forks River at Stricker Road near MellenRiver gauge, Tyler Forks River	3.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	16 mi
Siskiwit River at CornucopiaRiver gauge, Siskiwit River	7.8 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	26 mi
Black River near BessemerRiver gauge, Black River	2.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	30 mi
Namekagon River at LeonardsRiver gauge, Namekagon River	46.1 cfs	Very low	−0.8 cfs	43 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Bad River at Odanah higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.05 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.00 ft.

What is flood stage for the Bad River at Odanah?

The official flood stage is 8.50 ft. The level is currently 6.45 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Bad River at Odanah in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.82 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.73 ft and 3.68 ft, based on 9 years of records.

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 Bad River at Odanah today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT, the water level was 2.05 ft. Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Bad River at Odanah rising or falling?

Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.76 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Bad River at Odanah normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04027595 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.61026, -90.68707 (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	2.05 ft	2026-10-19 06:00	Provisional
Flow	65.5 cfs	2026-10-19 05:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bad River at Odanah (usgs:04027595). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/bad-river-at-odanah

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