Fox River at Waukesha water level

Name: Fox River at Waukesha 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

3.14ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT (2 hours ago)

Flow: 139 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Fox River at Waukesha, where the gauge shows 3.14 ft.

It is 2.86 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.13 ft – 3.31 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: 8.85 ftJune 9, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 6.00 ft.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: Water may hit the N Prairie Ave bridge, Broadway bridge and pedestrian bridges along the riverwalk. E St Paul Ave may flood.
10.00 ft: Water surrounds some homes along Bethesda Park. Barstow St, Baxter St, Bank St, Union St, Glenwood Dr flood.
9.50 ft: Water hits Barstow St bridge and Bank St bridge causing additional flooding on Corrina Blvd.
9.00 ft: Dunbar Ave, Marshall St, N Prairie Ave, Hamilton Ave flood and water approaches homes on those streets.
8.50 ft: Water touches the base of Barstow St bridge and Bank St bridge. Corrina Blvd, Buckley St, W Main St, and Riverwalk Dr flood.
8.00 ft: Parts of Corrina Blvd, Buckley St, and Dunbar Ave flood. Grede Park, Glacial Drumlin Trail and Fox Riverwalk flood.
7.00 ft: Frame Park floods. The Riverwalk floods. Yards of homes near Bethesda Park flood.
6.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding in the Waukesha area.
5.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding in the Waukesha area.
3.14 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	8.85 ft	June 9, 2008
2	8.62 ft	August 11, 2025
3	8.50 ft	April 17, 2026
4	8.00 ft	April 1, 1960
5	7.82 ft	June 19, 2009
6	7.67 ft	July 25, 2010
7	7.42 ft	April 22, 1973
8	7.34 ft	July 2, 2000
9	7.28 ft	September 12, 2022
10	6.97 ft	May 24, 2004

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 62%

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	−0.12 ft	74 mi
Fox River at BerlinRiver gauge, Fox River	9.63 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	75 mi
Fox River at OshkoshRiver gauge, Fox River	6.33 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	71 mi
Fox River at AppletonRiver gauge, Fox River	5.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.41 ft	86 mi
Fox River at Waterford Dam, at WaterfordRiver gauge, Fox River	1.78 ft	No reference yet	+0.07 ft	17 mi
Fox River at RochesterRiver gauge, Fox River	4.56 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Fox River near New MunsterRiver gauge, Fox River	6.71 ft	Below flood stage	+0.15 ft	27 mi
Fox River at JohnsburgRiver gauge, Fox River	4.00 ft	Normal	+0.15 ft	43 mi
Fox River near McHenryRiver gauge, Fox River	4.03 ft	Normal	+0.28 ft	48 mi
Fox River at AlgonquinRiver gauge, Fox River	1.71 ft	Normal	±0	58 mi
Fox River at South ElginRiver gauge, Fox River	12.70 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	70 mi
Fox River at South Elgin, Il (Tailwater)River gauge, Fox River	6.80 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	70 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bark River at Nagawicka Road at DelafieldRiver gauge, Bark River	32.4 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	9 mi
Underwood Creek at WauwatosaRiver gauge, Underwood Creek	5.4 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	11 mi
Mukwonago River at MukwonagoRiver gauge, Mukwonago River	2.39 ft	Below flood stage	±0	11 mi
Muskego (Big Muskego) Lake Outlet near Wind LakeRiver gauge, Muskego (Big Muskego) Lake Outlet	11.72 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	12 mi
Root River at Grange Avenue at GreendaleRiver gauge, Root River	4.7 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	12 mi
Honey Creek at WauwatosaRiver gauge, Honey Creek	2.7 cfs	Normal	+0.5 cfs	12 mi
Menomonee River at WauwatosaRiver gauge, Menomonee River	1.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	13 mi
Little Menomonee River at MilwaukeeRiver gauge, Little Menomonee River	1.5 cfs	Low	−0.4 cfs	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Fox River at Waukesha?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 2.86 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 Waukesha today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.14 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Fox River at Waukesha rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Fox River at Waukesha 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 Waukesha?

The highest level on record is 8.85 ft on June 9, 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:05543830 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.00472, -88.24361 (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	3.14 ft	2026-10-19 19:00	Provisional
Flow	139 cfs	2026-10-19 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fox River at Waukesha (usgs:05543830). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/fox-river-at-waukesha

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