Wisconsin River river
Total streamflow across the Wisconsin River was last observed at 13,860 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 27,491 acre-ft of water today; about 38% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 36,209 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-04-19 when daily discharge volume was observed at 190,510 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Wisconsin River At Muscoda reporting a streamflow rate of 10,400 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Wisconsin River At Rothschild with a gauge stage of 13.51 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Wisconsin River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,582 ft, the Wisconsin River @ Rainbow Lake Nr Lake Tomahawk.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Wisconsin River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Wisconsin River
All 6 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wisconsin River @ Rainbow Lake Nr Lake Tomahawk
WI
USGS 05391000
|
620 | 1.98 | -6.5 | 84% | 194 | 3,250 | 1,582 |
|
Wisconsin River At Merrill
WI
USGS 05395000
|
2,280 | 5.06 | 4.1 | 70% | 537 | 22,400 | 1,232 |
|
Wisconsin River At Rothschild
WI
USGS 05398000
|
2,520 | 13.51 | 11.5 | 58% | 623 | 46,400 | 1,138 |
|
Wisconsin River At Wisconsin Rapids
WI
USGS 05400760
|
3,380 | 3.08 | 0.3 | 78% | 995 | 78,400 | 971 |
|
Wisconsin River Near Wisconsin Dells
WI
USGS 05404000
|
5,060 | 3.06 | -27.9 | 70% | 797 | 54,400 | 810 |
|
Wisconsin River At Muscoda
WI
USGS 05407000
|
10,400 | 2.75 | -0.9 | 85% | 1,970 | 80,800 | 672 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Wisconsin River
The Wisconsin River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River, stretching over 430 miles from its source in northern Wisconsin to its confluence with the Mississippi River. The river has a rich history, once serving as a major transportation route for fur traders and loggers. Today, the river plays an important role in Wisconsin's economy, supporting hydroelectric power, agriculture, and recreation. The river is home to several large reservoirs, including Lake Wisconsin, Petenwell Lake, and Castle Rock Lake, which are used for power generation and flood control. The river is also a popular destination for fishing, boating, and camping. Agricultural uses of the river include irrigation for crops and livestock watering. The hydrology of the Wisconsin River is closely monitored to ensure sustainable use and protection of this valuable resource.
Recreation along the Wisconsin River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Fishing
Track the Wisconsin River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Wisconsin River
Where does the data for the Wisconsin River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.