Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Bad River (WI) near Odanah

Highest listed crest 27.28 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft74 crests since 1946

The Bad River (WI) near Odanah crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 74 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2024. The highest, 27.28 ft on July 12, 2016, was major flooding, 11.28 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Bad River (WI) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.28 ft
July 12, 2016; 40,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
3
30th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
July 12, 2016
27.28 ft, major flooding
Location
Ashland County
Wisconsin

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Bad River (WI) near Odanah
Action stage10.146Apr 13, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.02May 1, 1954Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.01Jul 3, 1992Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.03Jul 12, 2016Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

74 crests from 1946 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Bad River (WI) near Odanah, 1946 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Jun 24, 1946: 22.20 ft, major floodingJul 4, 1949: 17.30 ft, minor flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1950: 14.00 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1951: 14.30 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1952: 13.90 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1953: 15.50 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1954: 16.05 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1955: 10.18 ft, action stage; 6,770 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1956: 9.29 ft, below flood stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1957: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 5,930 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1958: 10.00 ft, below flood stage; 6,410 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1959: 7.24 ft, below flood stage; 3,480 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1960: 21.70 ft, major flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1961: 9.70 ft, below flood stage; 6,670 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1962: 8.34 ft, below flood stage; 4,970 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1963: 10.10 ft, action stage; 7,190 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1964: 11.90 ft, action stage; 9,660 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1965: 10.23 ft, action stage; 6,520 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1966: 10.65 ft, action stage; 7,110 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1967: 14.50 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1968: 8.84 ft, below flood stage; 4,840 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1969: 11.43 ft, action stage; 8,240 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1970: 7.98 ft, below flood stage; 3,990 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1971: 13.08 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1972: 12.10 ft, action stage; 9,250 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1973: 11.20 ft, action stage; 8,000 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1974: 11.36 ft, action stage; 8,190 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1975: 10.25 ft, action stage; 6,550 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1976: 12.12 ft, action stage; 9,910 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1977: 11.35 ft, action stage; 7,380 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1978: 10.56 ft, action stage; 7,170 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1979: 12.00 ft, action stage; 8,180 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1980: 9.78 ft, below flood stage; 5,580 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1981: 11.52 ft, action stage; 7,580 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1982: 12.20 ft, action stage; 8,480 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1982: 11.16 ft, action stage; 7,150 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1984: 10.49 ft, action stage; 6,350 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1985: 10.34 ft, action stage; 6,170 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1986: 14.66 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1986: 7.69 ft, below flood stage; 3,510 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1988: 10.53 ft, action stage; 6,360 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1989: 8.25 ft, below flood stage; 4,060 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1990: 13.06 ft, action stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1990: 10.44 ft, action stage; 6,260 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1992: 18.41 ft, moderate flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1993: 8.34 ft, below flood stage; 4,020 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1994: 9.11 ft, below flood stage; 4,760 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1995: 9.42 ft, below flood stage; 5,090 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1996: 14.75 ft, action stage; 13,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1997: 13.73 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1998: 13.00 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1999: 10.06 ft, below flood stage; 5,870 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2000: 9.79 ft, below flood stage; 5,540 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2004: 11.30 ft, action stage; 8,020 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2005: 10.32 ft, action stage; 6,810 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2005: 10.42 ft, action stage; 6,930 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2007: 8.79 ft, below flood stage; 5,010 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2008: 11.00 ft, action stage; 7,650 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2009: 6.15 ft, below flood stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2010: 9.09 ft, below flood stage; 5,350 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2011: 10.68 ft, action stage; 7,320 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2012: 10.89 ft, action stage; 6,480 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2013: 14.60 ft, action stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2014: 12.65 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2015: 7.13 ft, below flood stage; 3,000 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2016: 27.28 ft, major flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2017: 13.28 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2018: 15.26 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2019: 15.25 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2020: 11.08 ft, action stage; 7,650 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2021: 9.01 ft, below flood stage; 5,180 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2022: 10.33 ft, action stage; 6,550 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2023: 15.28 ft, action stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2024: 6.40 ft, below flood stage Highest, 27.28 ft, Jul 12, 2016 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Bad River (WI) near Odanah 1940s: 2 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 74 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Bad River (WI) near Odanah
1Jul 12, 201627.28+11.28Major40,000
2Jun 24, 194622.20+6.20Major—
3Apr 24, 196021.70+5.70Major27,700
4Jul 3, 199218.41+2.41Moderate20,100
5Jul 4, 194917.30+1.30Minor16,500
6May 1, 195416.05+0.05Minor14,600
7Jul 1, 195315.50−0.50Action13,800
8Apr 13, 202315.28−0.72Action13,900
9Jun 18, 201815.26−0.74Action13,800
10Apr 23, 201915.25−0.75Action13,800
11Apr 20, 199614.75−1.25Action13,000
12Apr 1, 198614.66−1.34Action11,500
13May 21, 201314.60−1.40Action12,800
14Apr 2, 196714.50−1.50Action11,000
15Apr 29, 195114.30−1.70Action12,200
16May 6, 195014.00−2.00Action11,700
17Apr 19, 195213.90−2.10Action11,500
18Apr 6, 199713.73−2.27Action11,200
19May 18, 201713.28−2.72Action10,700
20Apr 12, 197113.08−2.92Action10,700
21Mar 16, 199013.06−2.94Action5,800
22Mar 30, 199813.00−3.00Action10,100
23May 9, 201412.65−3.35Action10,100
24Apr 17, 198212.20−3.80Action8,480
25Mar 30, 197612.12−3.88Action9,910
26Jul 23, 197212.10−3.90Action9,250
27Apr 21, 197912.00−4.00Action8,180
28May 6, 196411.90−4.10Action9,660
29Mar 30, 198111.52−4.48Action7,580
30Apr 10, 196911.43−4.57Action8,240
31Jun 11, 197411.36−4.64Action8,190
32Aug 31, 197711.35−4.65Action7,380
33Mar 29, 200411.30−4.70Action8,020
34Mar 15, 197311.20−4.80Action8,000
35Nov 21, 198211.16−4.84Action7,150
36Mar 30, 202011.08−4.92Action7,650
37Apr 23, 200811.00−5.00Action7,650
38Jun 21, 201210.89−5.11Action6,480
39Apr 11, 201110.68−5.32Action7,320
40Mar 18, 196610.65−5.35Action7,110
41Apr 10, 197810.56−5.44Action7,170
42Apr 7, 198810.53−5.47Action6,360
43Apr 13, 198410.49−5.51Action6,350
44Oct 18, 199010.44−5.56Action6,260
45Oct 6, 200510.42−5.58Action6,930
46Sep 30, 198510.34−5.66Action6,170
47Apr 14, 202210.33−5.67Action6,550
48Jul 24, 200510.32−5.68Action6,810
49Apr 24, 197510.25−5.75Action6,550
50Apr 23, 196510.23−5.77Action6,520

The worst floods along the Bad River (WI)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Bad River (WI) that crested above flood stage within a week.

July 12, 2016: 27.28 ft here, major flooding

  • OdanahWI · Jul 12, 2016 · 11.78 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Bad River (WI)

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Bad River (WI)
Odanah this gaugeWI16.027.28 ft, Jul 12, 20163
OdanahWI8.511.78 ft, Jul 12, 20161

Other gauges in Ashland County

Flood gauges in Ashland County
Odanah8.511.78 ft, Jul 12, 20161
Mellen9.014.20 ft, Jul 12, 20162

Ashland County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wisconsin

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ODAW3, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.