Manitowoc River at Manitowoc water level

Name: Manitowoc River at Manitowoc 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, Manitowoc River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.85ft Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 195 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Manitowoc River at Manitowoc, where the gauge shows 4.85 ft.

It is 5.15 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 5.15 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 4.47 ft – 4.86 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: 13.60 ftMarch 15, 2019

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Flooding affects spread into locations near the river from Archer Street to Ellis Street. Several feet of floodwater covers Broadway Steet and Mills Street.
12.00 ft: Up to 2 feet of water may be covering portions of Clay Pit Road and Broadway Street Park Road in the city of Manitowoc. Parts of Mill Road and North Rapids Road is covered by up to a foot of water.
11.00 ft: Up to a foot of water is covering portions of Clay Pit Road and Broadway Street Park Road. Widespread lowland flooding is occurring.
10.00 ft: There is widespread flooding of lowland and agricultural land. After ice out...the river current is strong from Manitowoc upstream to Clark Mills.
10.00 ft: There is widespread flooding of lowland and agricultural land.
9.00 ft: The river current, after ice out, is likely very fast from just west of Manitowoc upstream to Clark Mills.
8.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding.
4.85 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.60 ft	March 15, 2019
2	13.30 ft	March 25, 1986
3	13.24 ft	March 31, 1979
4	12.38 ft	March 13, 2007
5	12.04 ft	June 13, 2008
6	11.59 ft	May 4, 2018
7	11.19 ft	April 10, 2013
8	11.13 ft	March 27, 1989
9	11.09 ft	March 6, 1992
10	11.06 ft	March 19, 2011

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 54%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Glri East River Tile 1 near GreenleafCanal gauge, Glri East River Tile 1	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	21 mi
Sheboygan River at SheboyganRiver gauge, Sheboygan River	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	25 mi
Kewaunee River near KewauneeRiver gauge, Kewaunee River	8.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	26 mi
East River @ Cnty Trunk Highway Zz near GreenleafRiver gauge, East River @ Cnty Trunk Highway Zz	4.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	26 mi
Ashwaubenon Creek near Little RapidsRiver gauge, Ashwaubenon Creek	3.3 cfs	Normal	−1.4 cfs	29 mi
Lake Winnebago near StockbridgeLake, Lake Winnebago	2.90 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	31 mi
Dutchman Creek at Hansen Road at AshwaubenonRiver gauge, Dutchman Creek	1.6 cfs	Low	−2.9 cfs	32 mi
Fox River at Oil Tank Depot at Green BayRiver gauge, Fox River	579.39 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Manitowoc River at Manitowoc?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 5.15 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 Manitowoc River at Manitowoc today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM CDT, the water level was 4.85 ft. Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Manitowoc River at Manitowoc rising or falling?

Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Manitowoc River at Manitowoc normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Manitowoc River at Manitowoc?

The highest level on record is 13.60 ft on March 15, 2019.

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:04085427 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.10617, -87.71603 (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	4.85 ft	2026-10-18 23:00	Provisional
Flow	195 cfs	2026-10-18 23:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/12333?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Manitowoc River at Manitowoc water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Manitowoc River at Manitowoc (usgs:04085427). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/manitowoc-river-at-manitowoc

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