Fox River at Appleton water level

Name: Fox River at Appleton 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, Fox River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.63ft Up 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT (44 min ago)

Flow: 3,430 cfs
Water temperature: 58 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Fox River at Appleton is at 5.63 ft, in the normal range.

It is 2.77 ft below the flood stage of 8.40 ft.

It has risen 0.18 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 2.77 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 5.38 ft and 5.63 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 58 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 8.70 ftJune 13, 2008

Floating and fishing near Fox River at Appleton

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

Flood stage here is 8.40 ft, 2.77 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

10.50 ft: Flooding likely affecting structures along Oneida Street and along Vandenberg Lane and Pheasant Run.
9.00 ft: Water flows into Lutz Park affecting recreational facilities. Water current is dangerous at these levels or higher. Water is impacting some structures near Oneida Street and downstream near Wrightstown.
8.40 ft: The current is dangerous and lowland flooding is occurring. Water is affecting an apartment complex near Oneida Street and Water Street.
8.00 ft: The water current is fast. Lowland flooding is occurring downstream including the Wrightstown area.
7.50 ft: The river current is fast from Appleton to the Thousand Island park downstream. Flooding affects mainly lowland areas downstream to Wrightstown if high flows persist for several days.
7.00 ft: The river current in this region increases significantly from Appleton to The Thousand Island area downstream.
5.63 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	8.70 ft	June 13, 2008
2	8.52 ft	May 12, 2018
3	8.05 ft	July 6, 1993
4	7.94 ft	April 30, 2011
5	7.90 ft	June 17, 2004
6	7.75 ft	October 7, 1987
7	7.70 ft	September 25, 1986
8	7.38 ft	April 3, 2016
9	6.89 ft	April 14, 2022

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.96 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 50° 31° – Wind 13 mph

18 Sun 57° 40° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 65° 46° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 65° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 67° 49° 0.00 in Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 61° 56° 0.04 in Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 69° 53° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 42%

Map

Other gauges on the Fox River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fox River at PrincetonRiver gauge, Fox River	5.18 ft	Below flood stage	+0.17 ft	45 mi
Fox River at BerlinRiver gauge, Fox River	9.57 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	33 mi
Fox River at OshkoshRiver gauge, Fox River	6.30 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	17 mi
Fox River at Oil Tank Depot at Green BayRiver gauge, Fox River	579.39 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	28 mi
Fox River at WaukeshaRiver gauge, Fox River	3.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	86 mi
Fox River at Waterford Dam, at WaterfordRiver gauge, Fox River	1.61 ft	Very low	−0.08 ft	103 mi
Fox River at RochesterRiver gauge, Fox River	4.24 ft	Normal	−0.23 ft	105 mi
Fox River near New MunsterRiver gauge, Fox River	7.05 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	114 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River	3.98 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	130 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River	3.90 ft	Low	−0.16 ft	134 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River	1.76 ft	High	+0.01 ft	144 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Winnebago near StockbridgeLake, Lake Winnebago	2.94 ft	Very high	+0.15 ft	13 mi
Glri East River Tile 1 near GreenleafCanal gauge, Glri East River Tile 1	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	17 mi
Lake Winnebago at OshkoshLake, Lake Winnebago	2.90 ft	High	+0.03 ft	17 mi
East River @ Cnty Trunk Highway Zz near GreenleafRiver gauge, East River @ Cnty Trunk Highway Zz	4.94 ft	Below flood stage	+0.27 ft	18 mi
Wolf River at New LondonRiver gauge, Wolf River	2.76 ft	Below flood stage	+0.45 ft	19 mi
Ashwaubenon Creek near Little RapidsRiver gauge, Ashwaubenon Creek	5.1 cfs	Normal	+0.3 cfs	19 mi
Silver Creek at Florist Drive at OneidaRiver gauge, Silver Creek	0.1 cfs	Low	−0.3 cfs	21 mi
Duck Creek near HowardRiver gauge, Duck Creek	11.69 ft	Below flood stage	+0.34 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Fox River at Appleton?

The official flood stage is 8.40 ft. The level is currently 2.77 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 Fox River at Appleton today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT, the water level was 5.63 ft. Up 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Fox River at Appleton rising or falling?

Up 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Fox River at Appleton normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Fox River at Appleton?

The highest level on record is 8.70 ft on June 13, 2008.

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:04084445 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.24806, -88.42306 (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	5.63 ft	2026-10-17 18:00	Provisional
Flow	3,430 cfs	2026-10-17 18:00	Provisional
Water temperature	58 °F	2026-10-17 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fox River at Appleton (usgs:04084445). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/fox-river-at-appleton

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