Big Rib River at Rib Falls water level

Name: Big Rib River at Rib Falls 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 Rib River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.62ft Up 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT (2 days ago)

Flow: 159 cfs

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

The Big Rib River at Rib Falls is at 2.62 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.38 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has risen 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 7.38 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 2.33 ft and 2.62 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: 16.20 ftAugust 31, 1938

Floating and fishing near Big Rib River at Rib Falls

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 7.38 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: About 8 feet of water is covering Lions park in Marathon City downstream of Rib Falls. Water is in the first level of many homes on River Road north of Marathon City.
13.00 ft: The water current is fast in the Rib Falls area. In Marathon City, several feet of water is covering Lions Park and water is surrounding homes near River Road north of Marathon City. Widespread lowland flooding is occurring downstream to western Wausau.
11.50 ft: Up to 2 feet of floodwater is covering parts of Lions Park.
10.00 ft: Flooding affects are mainly lowland areas downstream of Rib Falls toward Marathon City.
9.00 ft: There is minor flooding of lowland downstream between Rib Falls and Marathon City. There is minor flooding in Lions Park in Marathon City.
7.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding.
2.62 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.20 ft	August 31, 1938
2	15.15 ft	September 24, 2010
3	14.87 ft	June 16, 1990
4	14.50 ft	September 18, 1942
5	13.42 ft	August 31, 1941
6	13.22 ft	April 11, 2011
7	12.98 ft	March 16, 2016
8	12.92 ft	September 5, 2018
9	12.43 ft	April 18, 2019
10	11.60 ft	June 27, 1943

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.82 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 58° 37° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 62° 36° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 62° 42° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 65° 42° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 63° 51° 0.00 in Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 65° 49° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:21 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 56%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Eau Pleine River at StratfordRiver gauge, Big Eau Pleine River	2.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	13 mi
Wisconsin River at RothschildRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	12.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	14 mi
Eau Claire River at KellyRiver gauge, Eau Claire River	0.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Wisconsin River at MerrillRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	4.08 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Prairie River near MerrillRiver gauge, Prairie River	2.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	22 mi
Spirit River at Spirit FallsRiver gauge, Spirit River	1.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	33 mi
Little Plover River near PloverRiver gauge, Little Plover River	7.7 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	40 mi
Wisconsin River at Wisconsin RapidsRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	40 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Big Rib River at Rib Falls?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.38 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 Rib River at Rib Falls today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 01:00 AM CDT, the water level was 2.62 ft. Up 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Rib River at Rib Falls rising or falling?

Up 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Rib River at Rib Falls normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Rib River at Rib Falls?

The highest level on record is 16.20 ft on August 31, 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:05396000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.97250, -89.90528 (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	2.62 ft	2026-10-17 06:00	Provisional
Flow	159 cfs	2026-10-17 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Rib River at Rib Falls (usgs:05396000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/big-rib-river-at-rib-falls

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