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Bad River near Odanah water level

River gauge, Bad River, Wisconsin, United States

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Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

2.38ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
116 cfs
Water temperature
47 °F
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 27.28 ft Minor floodstage 16.00 ft

History

History
2.382.402.432.45ftOct 16Oct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 192.382.402.432.45ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 19
Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Bad River near Odanah, where the gauge shows 2.38 ft.

It is 13.62 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.36 ft – 2.49 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 47 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record
27.28 ftJuly 12, 2016

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 16.00 ft.

What happens at each level

26.50 ft
Elm Hoist Road bridge under water.
18.00 ft
Water approaches the level of Highway 2 near Odanah
15.00 ft
Several Roads including Miller Road, Government Road and State Road may be flooded at this stage. Flooding of these areas is also dependent on the volume of water flowing from the White River which comes in below this gauge.
13.50 ft
At this level there is no threat to property. It is common at this level for water to flood the main boat landing in Old Odanah and adjacent to the Powwow grounds in the Maple sugar bush.
13.00 ft
Flooding occurred in Old Odanah in 1996 and 1997 when the gage read between 13 and 15 feet. However, there was water released from the dam at Ashland on the White River. The river runs into the Bad River just south/upstream of Odanah.
10.10 ft
Bankfull stage. At this level, water will be at the top of its banks and any futher rises will result in water moving into the flood plain.
2.38 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 %.

RankLevelDate
127.28 ftJuly 12, 2016
222.20 ftJune 24, 1946
321.70 ftApril 24, 1960
418.41 ftJuly 3, 1992
517.30 ftJuly 4, 1949
616.05 ftMay 1, 1954
715.50 ftJuly 1, 1953
815.28 ftApril 13, 2023
915.26 ftJune 18, 2018
1015.25 ftApril 23, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.01 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 32° – Wind 15 mph
18 Sun 63° 44° – Wind 14 mph
19 Mon 62° 40° – Wind 8 mph
20 Tue 66° 44° – Wind 8 mph
21 Wed 69° 50° – Wind 12 mph
22 Thu 64° 52° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 67° 52° 0.02 in Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Bad River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bad River at OdanahRiver gauge, Bad River 1.96 ft Low +0.09 ft 9 mi
Bad River at The Mouth near OdanahRiver gauge, Bad River 10.23 ft No reference yet +0.24 ft 11 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Marengo River near MellenRiver gauge, Marengo River 51.7 cfs Low −4.2 cfs 5.2 mi
Marengo River at Riemer Road near MarengoRiver gauge, Marengo River 5.83 ft No reference yet −0.02 ft 8 mi
Tyler Forks River at Stricker Road near MellenRiver gauge, Tyler Forks River 3.51 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 8 mi
White River near AshlandRiver gauge, White River 167 cfs Low −20.0 cfs 10 mi
Whittlesey Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, Whittlesey Creek 15.0 cfs Very low −3.1 cfs 15 mi
Black River near BessemerRiver gauge, Black River 2.02 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 30 mi
Siskiwit River at CornucopiaRiver gauge, Siskiwit River 7.6 cfs Normal −0.2 cfs 32 mi
Namekagon River at LeonardsRiver gauge, Namekagon River 42.9 cfs Very low −2.3 cfs 37 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Bad River near Odanah?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 13.62 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 Bad River near Odanah today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT, the water level was 2.38 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Bad River near Odanah rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Bad River near Odanah normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Bad River near Odanah?

The highest level on record is 27.28 ft on July 12, 2016.

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:04027000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
46.48661, -90.69630 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.38 ft 2026-10-19 17:45 Provisional
Flow 116 cfs 2026-10-19 17:45 Provisional
Water temperature 47 °F 2026-10-19 17:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bad River near Odanah (usgs:04027000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/bad-river-near-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.