Milwaukee River at Milwaukee water level

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

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.25ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 11:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 584 cfs
Water temperature: 54 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Milwaukee River at Milwaukee reads 1.25 ft, a normal level.

It is 5.75 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.96 ft and 1.28 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 54 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.20 ftAugust 10, 2025

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 7.00 ft, still 5.75 ft away.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: There is widespread flooding in the Glendale area, including Bender Road, North Milwaukee River Parkway, West Riverview Drive, North River Forest Drive and North Sunny Point Road, N Port Washington Road including a hotel. Floodwaters back into Lincoln Creek and affect some streets along Lincoln Creek. Floodwaters inundate much of Lincoln Park and Kletsch Park. Water is over the boardwalk along river in Estabrook Park.
11.00 ft: There is widespread flooding in the Glendale area, including Bender Road, North Milwaukee River Parkway, West Riverview Drive, North River Forest Drive and North Sunny Point Road, N Port Washington Road including a hotel. Floodwaters back into Lincoln Creek and affect some streets along Lincoln Creek. Floodwaters inundate much of Lincoln Park and Kletsch Park. Water is over the boardwalk along river in Estabrook Park.
10.00 ft: Streets in Glendale are flooded, including Bender Road, North Milwaukee River Parkway, West Riverview Drive, North River Forest Drive and North Sunny Point Road, N Port Washington Road including a hotel. Floodwaters back into Lincoln Creek and affect some streets along Lincoln Creek. Floodwaters inundate much of Lincoln Park and Kletsch Park. Water is over the boardwalk along river in Estabrook Park.
9.00 ft: Streets in Glendale are flooded, including Bender Road, North Milwaukee River Parkway, West Riverview Drive, North River Forest Drive and North Sunny Point Road, N Port Washington Road including a hotel. Floodwaters back into Lincoln Creek and affect some streets along Lincoln Creek. Floodwaters inundate much of Lincoln Park and Kletsch Park.
8.50 ft: Parts of Riverview Drive are flooded. Floodwaters affect property along North Sunny Point Road in the Glendale area as well as a hotel property along N Port Washington Road. Parts of Lincoln Park and Kletsch Park are flooded.
8.00 ft: Floodwaters affect property along N Port Washington Road including a hotel. Water approaches Riverview Dr. Water affects property on North Sunny Point Rd. Parts of Lincoln Park and Kletsch Park are flooded.
7.00 ft: Floodwaters affect property along N Port Washington Road including a hotel.
6.00 ft: There is general overflow of the lowest banks resulting in minor lowland flooding mainly in the Glendale area.
5.50 ft: There is minor lowland flooding.
1.25 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.20 ft	August 10, 2025
2	10.48 ft	July 22, 2010
3	10.00 ft	June 21, 1997
4	9.29 ft	April 21, 1973
5	8.07 ft	June 7, 2008
6	8.05 ft	March 31, 1960
7	7.92 ft	April 3, 1959
8	7.55 ft	March 19, 1948
9	7.53 ft	March 24, 1975
10	7.50 ft	August 6, 1998

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Milwaukee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Milwaukee River near CedarburgRiver gauge, Milwaukee River	6.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	13 mi
Milwaukee River at Mouth at MilwaukeeRiver gauge, Milwaukee River	7.96 ft	No reference yet	−0.19 ft	5.2 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lincoln Creek @ Sherman Boulevard at MilwaukeeRiver gauge, Lincoln Creek @ Sherman Boulevard	1.6 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	2.9 mi
Menomonee River at 16th Street at MilwaukeeRiver gauge, Menomonee River	47.2 cfs	Normal	−175.8 cfs	4.7 mi
Menomonee River at WauwatosaRiver gauge, Menomonee River	1.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	5.9 mi
Honey Creek at WauwatosaRiver gauge, Honey Creek	2.0 cfs	Normal	±0	6 mi
Little Menomonee River at MilwaukeeRiver gauge, Little Menomonee River	1.5 cfs	Low	−1.0 cfs	7 mi
Kinnickinnic River @ S. 11th Street @ MilwaukeeRiver gauge	5.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Underwood Creek at WauwatosaRiver gauge, Underwood Creek	5.9 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	8 mi
Little Menomonee River near FreistadtRiver gauge, Little Menomonee River	4.8 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Milwaukee River at Milwaukee?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 5.75 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 Milwaukee River at Milwaukee today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 11:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.25 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Milwaukee River at Milwaukee rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Milwaukee River at Milwaukee normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 11.20 ft on August 10, 2025.

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:04087000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.10001, -87.90897 (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	1.25 ft	2026-10-19 04:00	Provisional
Flow	584 cfs	2026-10-19 04:00	Provisional
Water temperature	54 °F	2026-10-19 04:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Milwaukee River at Milwaukee (usgs:04087000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/milwaukee-river-at-milwaukee

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