Rock River at Watertown water level

Name: Rock River at Watertown 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, Rock River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.39ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 658 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Rock River at Watertown is at 2.39 ft, in the normal range.

It is 3.11 ft below the flood stage of 5.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.34 ft and 2.40 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: 7.81 ftJune 13, 2008

Floating and fishing near Rock River at Watertown

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

Flood stage here is 5.50 ft, 3.11 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

7.00 ft: Floodwaters affect some streets in Watertown. Riverside Park is flooded. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside park along Highway 16 and Kanow Park are flooded. Rock River Road near Highway 16 is flooded. Water impacts structures at end of Riverview Rd. Water may impact Riverdale Circle.
6.50 ft: Floodwaters affect some streets in Watertown. Water is in Riverside Park. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside park along Highway 16 and Kanow Park is flooded. Rock River Road near Highway 16 is flooded. Water approaches structures at end of Riverview Rd. Water impacts the end of Willow St.
6.00 ft: Water nears some streets in Watertown. Water is in Riverside Park in Watertown. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside park on Highway 16, and Kanow Park is flooded. Rock River Road near Highway 16 is flooded.
5.50 ft: There is widespread lowland flooding in rural areas around Watertown. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside park along Highway 16 and Kanow Park are flooded and Rock River Road is impacted.
5.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding in rural areas around Watertown. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside Park along Hwy 16 ais flooded, water impacts Rock River Road and Kanow Park near Highway 16 is flooded.
4.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding in rural areas around Watertown. Flood waters start to affect Wayside park on Highway 16 as well as Kanow Park on Rock River Road about 6 miles upstream near Ixonia.
2.39 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	7.81 ft	June 13, 2008
2	6.96 ft	January 17, 1997
3	6.32 ft	April 4, 1959
4	6.27 ft	April 18, 2013
5	6.19 ft	March 31, 1979
6	6.17 ft	September 9, 2018
7	6.09 ft	June 12, 2004
8	6.03 ft	April 20, 1993
9	6.00 ft	April 15, 2026
10	5.95 ft	February 20, 1994

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on the Rock River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rock River at HoriconRiver gauge, Rock River	262 cfs	Normal	+1.0 cfs	19 mi
Rock River at Tweedy St. at HustisfordRiver gauge, Rock River	7.98 ft	No reference yet	+0.08 ft	13 mi
Rock River near LebanonRiver gauge, Rock River	7.05 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	9 mi
Rock River at JeffersonRiver gauge, Rock River	4.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Rock River at Fort AtkinsonRiver gauge, Rock River	11.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	19 mi
Rock River at NewvilleRiver gauge, Rock River	2.70 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	29 mi
Rock River at AftonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	43 mi
Rock River at RocktonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.30 ft	High	+0.03 ft	54 mi
Rock River at Latham ParkRiver gauge, Rock River	5.29 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	59 mi
Rock River at Auburn St at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	3.22 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	64 mi
Rock River above Dam at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	2.61 ft	High	−0.05 ft	66 mi
Rock River at ByronRiver gauge, Rock River	7.09 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	78 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Crawfish River at MilfordRiver gauge, Crawfish River	3.08 ft	Below flood stage	+0.10 ft	9 mi
Bark River near RomeRiver gauge, Bark River	2.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Beaverdam River at Beaver DamRiver gauge, Beaverdam River	840.50 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	19 mi
Bark River at Nagawicka Road at DelafieldRiver gauge, Bark River	38.1 cfs	High	+5.0 cfs	19 mi
Lake Koshkonong near NewvilleLake, Lake Koshkonong	776.25 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	25 mi
Fox River at WaukeshaRiver gauge, Fox River	3.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rock River at Watertown?

The official flood stage is 5.50 ft. The level is currently 3.11 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 Rock River at Watertown today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT, the water level was 2.39 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rock River at Watertown rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rock River at Watertown normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rock River at Watertown?

The highest level on record is 7.81 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:05425500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.18806, -88.72611 (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	2.39 ft	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional
Flow	658 cfs	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rock River at Watertown (usgs:05425500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/rock-river-at-watertown

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