Summary
Total streamflow across the
Wisconsin River
was last observed at
18,885
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
37,458
acre-ft of water today; about 130%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
14,570 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 12,100 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Wisconsin River At Rothschild
with a gauge stage of 13.32 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 Details
| Last Updated | 2026-01-01 |
| Discharge Volume | 37,458 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
18,885.0 cfs
-675.0 cfs (-3.45%) |
| Percent of Normal | 129.61% |
| Maximum |
190,510.0 cfs
2019-04-19 |
| Seasonal Avg | 14,570 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wisconsin River @ Rainbow Lake Nr Lake Tomahawk
USGS 05391000 |
515 cfs | 1.7 ft | -6.36 | |||||
|
Wisconsin River At Merrill
USGS 05395000 |
1530 cfs | 4.47 ft | -4.38 | |||||
|
Wisconsin River At Rothschild
USGS 05398000 |
2000 cfs | 13.32 ft | -2.44 | |||||
|
Wisconsin River At Wisconsin Rapids
USGS 05400760 |
2740 cfs | 3.05 ft | 11.38 | |||||
|
Wisconsin River Near Wisconsin Dells
USGS 05404000 |
2840 cfs | 2.32 ft | -8.68 | |||||
|
Wisconsin River At Muscoda
USGS 05407000 |
12100 cfs | 3.38 ft | -6.2 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousing", is rooted in the Algonquian languages used by the area's American Indian tribes, but its original meaning is obscure. French explorers who followed in the wake of Marquette later modified the name to "Ouisconsin", and so it appears on Guillaume de L'Isle's map (Paris, 1718). This was simplified to "Wisconsin" in the early 19th century before being applied to Wisconsin Territory and finally the state of Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin River originates in the forests of the North Woods Lake District of northern Wisconsin, in Lac Vieux Desert near the border of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It flows south across the glacial plain of central Wisconsin, passing through Wausau, Stevens Point, and Wisconsin Rapids. In southern Wisconsin it encounters the terminal moraine formed during the last ice age, where it forms the Dells of the Wisconsin River. North of Madison at Portage, the river turns to the west, flowing through Wisconsin's hilly Western Upland and joining the Mississippi approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Prairie du Chien.
The highest waterfall on the river is Grandfather Falls in Lincoln County.
Western Boundary Of Effigy Mounds National Monument To Boundary Of Effigy Mounds National Monument