Spirit River at Spirit Falls water level

Name: Spirit River at Spirit Falls 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, Spirit River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.46ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 13.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Spirit River at Spirit Falls, where the gauge shows 1.46 ft.

It is 6.54 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.46 ft – 1.95 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: 10.00 ftSeptember 18, 1942

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 8.00 ft.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: Floodwaters are reaching Highway 86.
9.50 ft: Water is likely covering parts of Spirit Falls Road and Bridge Road. Flooding is likely occurring along Ritche Creek and Squaw Creek.
8.00 ft: Floodwaters begin to flow over low spots on Highway T in the Spirit Falls region.
6.50 ft: Water may approach low areas near Spirit Falls Road. The river flow is fast.
5.00 ft: There is lowland flooding.
1.46 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.00 ft	September 18, 1942
2	9.14 ft	March 17, 1946
3	8.87 ft	April 14, 1965
4	8.66 ft	September 15, 1994
5	8.22 ft	April 12, 2023
6	8.22 ft	April 1, 2005
7	8.13 ft	April 11, 2002
8	7.95 ft	May 18, 2017
9	7.93 ft	April 3, 1997
10	7.91 ft	April 2, 1967

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 63° 30° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 67° 40° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 67° 40° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 66° 49° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 71° 55° 0.02 in Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 60° 43° 0.02 in Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 42° 35° 0.24 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Prairie River near MerrillRiver gauge, Prairie River	2.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	22 mi
Wisconsin River at MerrillRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	3.79 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	24 mi
Discovery Farms Waterway Mt1 near AthensRiver gauge, Discovery Farms Waterway Mt1	0.00 ft	No reference yet	±0	29 mi
Nf Yellow River at Yellow River Road near PerkinstownRiver gauge, Nf Yellow River	8.37 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	32 mi
Big Rib River at Rib FallsRiver gauge, Big Rib River	2.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	33 mi
Wisconsin River @ Rainbow Lake near Lake TomahawkRiver gauge, Wisconsin River @ Rainbow Lake	1.01 ft	Below flood stage	±0	33 mi
South Fork Flambeau River near PhillipsRiver gauge, South Fork Flambeau River	159 cfs	Low	−41.0 cfs	35 mi
Bear River near Manitowish WatersRiver gauge, Bear River	7.8 cfs	Very low	−0.4 cfs	41 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Spirit River at Spirit Falls?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 6.54 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 Spirit River at Spirit Falls today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 1.46 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Spirit River at Spirit Falls rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Spirit River at Spirit Falls normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Spirit River at Spirit Falls?

The highest level on record is 10.00 ft on September 18, 1942.

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:05393500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.44917, -89.97917 (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	1.46 ft	2026-10-20 21:30	Provisional
Flow	13.7 cfs	2026-10-20 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Spirit River at Spirit Falls (usgs:05393500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/spirit-river-at-spirit-falls

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