South Branch Rock River at Waupun water level

Name: South Branch Rock River at Waupun 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, South Branch Rock River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.38ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 28.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The South Branch Rock River at Waupun is at 2.38 ft, in the normal range.

It is 3.62 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.38 ft and 2.57 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: 10.09 ftJune 13, 2008

Floating and fishing near South Branch Rock River at Waupun

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

Flood stage here is 6.00 ft, 3.62 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: Water covers the support beams underneath the Fond du Lac St bridge and is closed. Gateway Dr. and County Park Rd. at the bridge are closed. Waters hits bridge deck of County Park Rd. Yards and basements, including walk-out basements, of some homes on Harmsen Ave. are flooded. Shaler Park and Pine St park closed.
10.50 ft: Water covers the support beams underneath the Fond du Lac St bridge and is closed. Gateway Dr. and County Park Rd. at the bridge are closed. Yards and basements, including walk-out basements, of some homes on Harmsen Ave. are flooded. Floodwaters affect roadways adjacent to the river, a park and a picnic area.
9.80 ft: Water covers the support beams underneath the Fond du Lac St bridge and is closed. Gateway Dr. and County Park Rd. at the bridge are closed. Yards and basements, including walk-out basements of some homes on Harmsen Ave. are flooded. Floodwaters affect a park, a picnic area and roadways adjacent to the river.
9.30 ft: Water covers the support beams underneath the Fond du Lac St bridge and is closed. Gateway Dr. and County Park Rd. at the bridge are closed. Yards and basements of some homes on Harmsen Ave. are flooded.
8.60 ft: Water touches the support beams underneath the Fond du Lac St bridge and is closed. Gateway Dr. and County Park Rd. at the bridge are closed.
7.50 ft: Water reaches the support beams underneath the Fond du Lac St bridge and is closed. Gateway Dr. and County Park Rd. at the bridge are closed. Floodwaters affect a park and roadways adjacent to the river. Water starts to over top the dam at Shaler Park.
7.30 ft: Water reaches the support beams underneath the Fond du Lac St bridge and is closed. Gateway Dr. and County Park Rd. at the bridge are closed. Floodwaters affect a park, a picnic area and roadways in the Waupun area.
7.00 ft: Floodwaters affect a park, a picnic area, and some roadways adjacent to the river. Gateway Dr. is flooded. County Park Rd (Hwy MMM) is closed at the bridge as the river flows around the north end of bridge. Shaler Park and Pine St Park closed.
6.00 ft: Floodwaters affect a picnic area and park near the river. Gateway Dr. is flooded and closed.
5.00 ft: Gateway Dr. is flooded and closed.
4.50 ft: Water begins to affect a low spot on Gateway Dr.
4.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding
2.38 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.09 ft	June 13, 2008
2	8.66 ft	March 15, 2019
3	8.27 ft	June 9, 2008
4	8.24 ft	June 23, 2024
5	8.20 ft	June 11, 2004
6	7.97 ft	April 3, 1959
7	7.92 ft	October 2, 2019
8	7.92 ft	October 2, 2019
9	7.85 ft	February 10, 1966
10	7.53 ft	July 6, 1993

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 49 min First quarter 68%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rock River at HoriconRiver gauge, Rock River	290 cfs	Normal	+13.0 cfs	14 mi
Beaverdam River at Beaver DamRiver gauge, Beaverdam River	840.50 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	15 mi
White Creek at Spring Grove Road near Green LakeRiver gauge, White Creek	1.9 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
Green Lake Inlet at Ct Highway A near Green LakeRiver gauge, Green Lake Inlet	18.6 cfs	Normal	−11.9 cfs	16 mi
Silver Creek at Spaulding Road near Green LakeRiver gauge, Silver Creek	29.2 cfs	Normal	−9.2 cfs	17 mi
Roy Creek at Roy Creek Road near Green LakeRiver gauge, Roy Creek	0.7 cfs	Normal	+0.1 cfs	17 mi
Green Lake at Green LakeLake, Green Lake	6.68 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	18 mi
Puchyan River Ds N. Lawson Drive near Green LakeRiver gauge, Puchyan River Ds N. Lawson Drive	56.1 cfs	Very high	−2.7 cfs	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Branch Rock River at Waupun?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 3.62 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 South Branch Rock River at Waupun today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT, the water level was 2.38 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Branch Rock River at Waupun rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Branch Rock River at Waupun normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Branch Rock River at Waupun?

The highest level on record is 10.09 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:05423500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.64166, -88.72066 (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	2.38 ft	2026-10-20 11:00	Provisional
Flow	28.9 cfs	2026-10-20 11:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Branch Rock River at Waupun (usgs:05423500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/south-branch-rock-river-at-waupun

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