Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford water level

Name: Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford 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, Big Eau Pleine River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.53ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT (42 min ago)

Flow: 22.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford reads 2.53 ft, a normal level.

It is 12.97 ft below the flood stage of 15.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.52 ft and 2.90 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: 24.50 ftSeptember 9, 1938

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.50 ft, still 12.97 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Floodwaters may cover portions of County Road M...Balsam Road and Eau Pleine Road. Several feet of floodwaters are surrounding some homes and structures.
19.00 ft: The water current is dangerous. Floodwaters may be surrounding some structures.
15.50 ft: Flooding affects mainly agricultural land. Some cottages may be affected by water on the western end of the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir...or about 5 miles downstream of the gauge on Highway 97.
13.00 ft: There is widespread lowland flooding. The river current is strong.
11.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding.
2.53 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.50 ft	September 9, 1938
2	24.00 ft	June 5, 1914
3	23.47 ft	June 6, 1980
4	22.20 ft	August 31, 1945
5	20.50 ft	June 27, 1943
6	20.36 ft	March 31, 1967
7	19.87 ft	September 23, 2010
8	19.01 ft	May 16, 1968
9	18.91 ft	September 26, 1972
10	18.43 ft	April 11, 1965

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.75 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 55° 30° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 59° 37° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 62° 35° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 63° 43° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 66° 43° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 64° 52° 0.00 in Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 66° 49° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:21 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 10 hr, 49 min First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Rib River at Rib FallsRiver gauge, Big Rib River	2.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	13 mi
Wisconsin River at RothschildRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	13.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	22 mi
Eau Claire River at KellyRiver gauge, Eau Claire River	0.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	27 mi
Wisconsin River at MerrillRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	3.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.36 ft	31 mi
Black River at NeillsvilleRiver gauge, Black River	3.35 ft	Below flood stage	+0.14 ft	32 mi
Wisconsin River at Wisconsin RapidsRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	32 mi
Prairie River near MerrillRiver gauge, Prairie River	2.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	35 mi
Yellow River at BabcockRiver gauge, Yellow River	2.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.16 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford?

The official flood stage is 15.50 ft. The level is currently 12.97 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 Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT, the water level was 2.53 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford?

The highest level on record is 24.50 ft on September 9, 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:05399500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.82191, -90.07958 (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	2.53 ft	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional
Flow	22.7 cfs	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Eau Pleine River at Stratford (usgs:05399500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/big-eau-pleine-river-at-stratford

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