Wisconsin River at Rothschild water level

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

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

13.32ft Up 0.40 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 1,740 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Wisconsin River at Rothschild reads 13.32 ft, a normal level.

It is 11.68 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.40 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 11.68 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 12.92 ft and 13.47 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: 32.30 ftSeptember 1, 1941

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 25.00 ft, still 11.68 ft away.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: Up to a foot of water is covering portions of Business 51 between Imperial and Schmidt Avenues. Between 1 to 2 feet are covering several businesses along Business 51 in Rothschild.
29.50 ft: About 6 inches of water is covering portions of Business Highway 51 between Schmidt and Imperial Avenues in Rothschild.
29.00 ft: Floodwaters approach Business 51 between Imperial Avenue and Schmidt Avenue. Up to a foot of water is covering a parking lot of a business between Business 51 and the Wisconsin River. Water is approaching some buildings east of business Highway 51.
28.00 ft: Floodwaters approach a business between Business Highway 51 and the Wisconsin River in Rothschild.
27.50 ft: Floodwaters approach low-lying areas around homes and businesses along highway 51.
25.00 ft: A public boat landing on the west side of the river is covered with water.
23.00 ft: Water may be approaching structures adjacent to the river.
20.50 ft: There is widespread lowland flooding.
18.00 ft: There is minor lowland flooding.
13.32 ft: Right now
12.50 ft: Submerged objects may become hazardous to boaters.

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	32.30 ft	September 1, 1941
2	29.46 ft	September 24, 2010
3	29.18 ft	April 18, 2019
4	28.29 ft	June 14, 1990
5	28.17 ft	April 11, 2011
6	28.16 ft	March 17, 2016
7	27.96 ft	September 28, 1986
8	27.48 ft	June 21, 1993
9	27.37 ft	March 31, 1976
10	26.89 ft	September 22, 1980

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 61° 37° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 62° 38° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 66° 40° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 69° 50° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 67° 50° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 68° 54° – Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 63° 41° – Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:21 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on the Wisconsin River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wisconsin River at MerrillRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	3.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.44 ft	20 mi
Wisconsin River at MosineeRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	12.26 ft	No reference yet	+0.50 ft	7 mi
Wisconsin River at Wisconsin RapidsRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	35 mi
Wisconsin River below Castle Rock Dam near MaustonRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	10.80 ft	No reference yet	+0.55 ft	73 mi
Wisconsin River near Wisconsin DellsRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	+0.14 ft	89 mi
Wisconsin River at MuscodaRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	1.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	123 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Eau Claire River at KellyRiver gauge, Eau Claire River	0.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	4.7 mi
Big Rib River at Rib FallsRiver gauge, Big Rib River	2.23 ft	Below flood stage		14 mi
Big Eau Pleine River at StratfordRiver gauge, Big Eau Pleine River	2.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	22 mi
Prairie River near MerrillRiver gauge, Prairie River	2.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	24 mi
Tomorrow River near NelsonvilleRiver gauge, Tomorrow River	31.1 cfs	Normal	−7.3 cfs	29 mi
Little Plover River near PloverRiver gauge, Little Plover River	7.4 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	29 mi
Red River at Morgan Road near MorganRiver gauge, Red River	5.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	39 mi
Spirit River at Spirit FallsRiver gauge, Spirit River	1.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	42 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wisconsin River at Rothschild?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 11.68 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 Wisconsin River at Rothschild today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM CDT, the water level was 13.32 ft. Up 0.40 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Wisconsin River at Rothschild rising or falling?

Up 0.40 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wisconsin River at Rothschild normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wisconsin River at Rothschild?

The highest level on record is 32.30 ft on September 1, 1941.

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:05398000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.88683, -89.63575 (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	13.32 ft	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional
Flow	1,740 cfs	2026-10-20 02:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wisconsin River at Rothschild (usgs:05398000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/wisconsin-river-at-rothschild

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