Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Baraboo River near Baraboo

Highest listed crest 27.48 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft99 crests since 1935

The Baraboo River near Baraboo crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 99 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1935 to 2026. The highest, 27.48 ft on June 13, 2008, was major flooding, 11.48 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Baraboo River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.48 ft
June 13, 2008; 18,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.1 ft
Crests at major
2
46th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 17, 2026
16.86 ft, minor flooding
Location
Sauk County
Near Baraboo (5.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Baraboo River near Baraboo
Action stage14.019Mar 10, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.050Apr 17, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.03Jun 2, 2000Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.12Sep 2, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

99 crests from 1935 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Baraboo River near Baraboo, 1935 to 2026 51015202530ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 23.1 ft Aug 6, 1935: 15.80 ft, action stage; 5,100 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1943: 16.40 ft, minor flooding; 3,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1944: 14.24 ft, action stage; 2,210 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1945: 16.66 ft, minor flooding; 3,110 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1946: 18.78 ft, minor flooding; 3,880 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1947: 18.02 ft, minor flooding; 3,400 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1948: 20.63 ft, minor flooding; 5,340 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1949: 13.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1950: 21.16 ft, minor flooding; 5,760 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1951: 17.93 ft, minor flooding; 3,550 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1952: 18.63 ft, minor flooding; 3,800 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1953: 13.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1954: 14.00 ft, action stage; 2,150 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1955: 12.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1956: 20.60 ft, minor flooding; 5,340 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1957: 9.45 ft, below flood stage; 808 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1958: 10.05 ft, below flood stage; 940 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1959: 21.35 ft, minor flooding; 5,910 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1960: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,220 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1961: 21.10 ft, minor flooding; 5,640 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1962: 18.94 ft, minor flooding; 4,150 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1963: 18.45 ft, minor flooding; 3,870 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1964: 9.02 ft, below flood stage; 710 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1965: 19.80 ft, minor flooding; 4,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1966: 22.68 ft, moderate flooding; 5,900 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1967: 16.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,220 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1968: 14.09 ft, action stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1969: 13.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1970: 12.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1971: 13.84 ft, below flood stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1972: 17.65 ft, minor flooding; 3,350 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1973: 20.06 ft, minor flooding; 4,310 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1974: 15.91 ft, action stage; 2,720 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1975: 16.98 ft, minor flooding; 3,090 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1976: 17.88 ft, minor flooding; 3,270 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1977: 11.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1978: 20.96 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1979: 18.06 ft, minor flooding; 3,350 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1980: 18.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,360 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1981: 15.72 ft, action stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1982: 14.12 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1983: 13.34 ft, below flood stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1984: 14.86 ft, action stage; 2,230 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1985: 17.62 ft, minor flooding; 3,090 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1986: 17.65 ft, minor flooding; 3,110 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1987: 12.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1988: 11.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1989: 14.99 ft, action stage; 2,250 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1990: 16.72 ft, minor flooding; 2,810 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1991: 14.57 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 1992: 20.67 ft, minor flooding; 4,470 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1993: 22.78 ft, moderate flooding; 6,340 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1994: 14.94 ft, action stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1995: 12.26 ft, below flood stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1996: 17.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,130 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1997: 12.23 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1998: 19.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 15.04 ft, action stage; 2,270 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2000: 22.04 ft, moderate flooding; 5,540 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2001: 15.03 ft, action stage; 2,270 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2002: 13.45 ft, below flood stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2003: 11.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2004: 19.67 ft, minor flooding; 4,010 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2005: 11.74 ft, below flood stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2006: 12.75 ft, below flood stage; 1,590 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2007: 16.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,650 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 2007: 19.50 ft, minor flooding; 3,940 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2008: 15.93 ft, action stageJun 13, 2008: 27.48 ft, major flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2008: 19.73 ft, minor flooding; 4,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2009: 11.99 ft, below flood stageApr 28, 2009: 13.63 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 15.77 ft, action stageApr 8, 2010: 14.06 ft, action stageJul 15, 2010: 17.52 ft, minor flooding; 3,310 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2011: 12.27 ft, below flood stageMar 24, 2011: 17.52 ft, minor flooding; 2,950 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2012: 13.06 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2013: 16.99 ft, minor flooding; 2,610 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2014: 17.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,820 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2015: 15.08 ft, action stage; 2,170 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 2015: 14.70 ft, action stage; 1,984 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2016: 18.05 ft, minor flooding; 2,980 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2016: 20.36 ft, minor flooding; 3,900 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2017: 13.69 ft, below flood stageJun 27, 2017: 13.57 ft, below flood stage; 1,651 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2017: 19.85 ft, minor flooding; 3,670 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2018: 19.74 ft, minor flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2018: 24.47 ft, major flooding; 8,410 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 18.06 ft, minor flooding; 3,340 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 20.68 ft, minor flooding; 4,960 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 2019: 18.13 ft, minor flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2020: 17.04 ft, minor flooding; 2,570 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 2020: 16.81 ft, minor flooding; 2,370 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2022: 14.69 ft, action stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2024: 18.37 ft, minor flooding; 3,290 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2024: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 2,926 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2026: 16.94 ft, minor flooding; 2,583 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2026: 16.86 ft, minor flooding; 2,555 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.48 ft, Jun 13, 2008 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Baraboo River near Baraboo 1930s: 0 1940s: 5 1950s: 5 1960s: 7 1970s: 6 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 6 2010s: 12 12 2020s: 6 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 99 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Baraboo River near Baraboo
1Jun 13, 200827.48+11.48Major18,100
2Sep 2, 201824.47+8.47Major8,410
3Jul 18, 199322.78+6.78Moderate6,340
4Feb 13, 196622.68+6.68Moderate5,900
5Jun 2, 200022.04+6.04Moderate5,540
6Apr 5, 195921.35+5.35Minor5,910
7Mar 29, 195021.16+5.16Minor5,760
8Mar 30, 196121.10+5.10Minor5,640
9Jul 6, 197820.96+4.96Minor4,600
10Mar 17, 201920.68+4.68Minor4,960
11Sep 20, 199220.67+4.67Minor4,470
12Mar 21, 194820.63+4.63Minor5,340
13Apr 6, 195620.60+4.60Minor5,340
14Sep 27, 201620.36+4.36Minor3,900
15Apr 19, 197320.06+4.06Minor4,310
16Jul 25, 201719.85+3.85Minor3,670
17Mar 6, 196519.80+3.80Minor4,500
18May 5, 201819.74+3.74Minor4,360
19Jul 13, 200819.73+3.73Minor4,040
20May 26, 200419.67+3.67Minor4,010
21Apr 1, 199819.54+3.54Minor3,960
22Aug 21, 200719.50+3.50Minor3,940
23Apr 1, 196218.94+2.94Minor4,150
24Mar 17, 194618.78+2.78Minor3,880
25Apr 4, 195218.63+2.63Minor3,800
26May 10, 196018.50+2.50Minor4,220
27Mar 28, 196318.45+2.45Minor3,870
28Jun 24, 202418.37+2.37Minor3,290
29Oct 4, 201918.13+2.13Minor3,100
30Aug 13, 198018.10+2.10Minor3,360
31Mar 24, 197918.06+2.06Minor3,350
32Oct 11, 201818.06+2.06Minor3,340
33Sep 11, 201618.05+2.05Minor2,980
34Jun 14, 194718.02+2.02Minor3,400
35Mar 31, 195117.93+1.93Minor3,550
36Mar 21, 197617.88+1.88Minor3,270
37Jul 7, 202417.85+1.85Minor2,926
38Mar 22, 197217.65+1.65Minor3,350
39Mar 23, 198617.65+1.65Minor3,110
40Feb 27, 198517.62+1.62Minor3,090
41Jun 19, 199617.54+1.54Minor3,130
42Jul 15, 201017.52+1.52Minor3,310
43Mar 24, 201117.52+1.52Minor2,950
44Apr 15, 201417.34+1.34Minor2,820
45Mar 21, 202017.04+1.04Minor2,570
46Apr 12, 201316.99+0.99Minor2,610
47Mar 22, 197516.98+0.98Minor3,090
48Apr 9, 202616.94+0.94Minor2,583
49Apr 17, 202616.86+0.86Minor2,555
50Oct 25, 202016.81+0.81Minor2,370

The worst floods along the Baraboo River

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

June 13, 2008: 27.48 ft here, major flooding

  • Rock SpringsWI · Jun 11, 2008 · 28.73 ft · Major · its highest
  • La ValleWI · Jun 10, 2008 · 23.23 ft · Major · its highest
  • ReedsburgWI · Jun 10, 2008 · 21.00 ft · Major
  • West BarabooWI · Jun 13, 2008 · 13.69 ft · Major · its highest

September 2, 2018: 24.47 ft here, major flooding

  • Rock SpringsWI · Aug 31, 2018 · 27.60 ft · Major
  • La ValleWI · Aug 29, 2018 · 22.55 ft · Major
  • ReedsburgWI · Aug 29, 2018 · 21.85 ft · Major · its highest
  • West BarabooWI · Sep 1, 2018 · 10.76 ft · Moderate

June 2, 2000: 22.04 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Baraboo River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Baraboo River
Kendall VillageWI5.06.70 ft, Apr 4, 20260
La ValleWI15.023.23 ft, Jun 10, 20082
ReedsburgWI14.021.85 ft, Aug 29, 20183
Rock SpringsWI18.528.73 ft, Jun 11, 20083
West BarabooWI9.013.69 ft, Jun 13, 20081
Baraboo this gaugeWI16.027.48 ft, Jun 13, 20082

Other gauges in Sauk County

Flood gauges in Sauk County
La Valle15.023.23 ft, Jun 10, 20082
Reedsburg14.021.85 ft, Aug 29, 20183
Rock Springs18.528.73 ft, Jun 11, 20083
West Baraboo9.013.69 ft, Jun 13, 20081
Wisconsin Dells16.020.70 ft, Mar 16, 19733

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BABW3, 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.