Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Fox River at Waukesha

Highest listed crest 8.85 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft57 crests since 1960

The Fox River at Waukesha crested above flood stage 36 times among the 57 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1960 to 2026. The highest, 8.85 ft on June 9, 2008, was moderate flooding, 2.85 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Fox River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
8.85 ft
June 9, 2008; 2,440 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
0
36 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 17, 2026
8.50 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Waukesha County
Near Waukesha (0.3 mi), Pewaukee (4.2 mi), New Berlin (6.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Fox River at Waukesha
Action stage5.014Apr 10, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.032Jun 5, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.04Apr 17, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

57 crests from 1960 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Fox River at Waukesha, 1960 to 2026 46810ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Apr 1, 1960: 8.00 ft, moderate flooding; 2,500 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1965: 5.79 ft, action stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1969: 5.79 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1972: 6.06 ft, minor flooding; 1,150 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 7.42 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1975: 5.77 ft, action stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1979: 6.09 ft, minor flooding; 1,270 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1983: 5.98 ft, action stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1986: 5.61 ft, action stage; 955 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1990: 6.32 ft, minor flooding; 1,080 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1991: 5.34 ft, action stage; 710 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1991: 4.57 ft, below flood stage; 463 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1993: 6.92 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1994: 5.45 ft, action stage; 800 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1995: 6.04 ft, minor flooding; 958 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1996: 6.10 ft, minor flooding; 967 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1997: 6.74 ft, minor flooding; 1,320 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1998: 6.96 ft, minor flooding; 1,460 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 6.15 ft, minor flooding; 1,010 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2000: 7.34 ft, minor flooding; 1,730 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2002: 6.05 ft, minor flooding; 963 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 6.97 ft, minor flooding; 1,300 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 2006: 6.53 ft, minor flooding; 1,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2007: 5.19 ft, action stage; 780 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2007: 5.65 ft, action stage; 947 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2007: 5.26 ft, action stage; 681 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2008: 6.32 ft, minor flooding; 1,210 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 8.85 ft, moderate flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2009: 4.23 ft, below flood stage; 429 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2009: 6.55 ft, minor flooding; 1,306 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2009: 7.82 ft, minor flooding; 1,910 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 4.78 ft, below flood stage; 638 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2010: 6.32 ft, minor floodingJul 15, 2010: 6.77 ft, minor floodingJul 25, 2010: 7.67 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 2011: 5.59 ft, action stageMay 6, 2012: 5.40 ft, action stageApr 19, 2013: 6.74 ft, minor flooding; 1,310 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2013: 6.15 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 2014: 5.19 ft, action stage; 597 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2015: 5.87 ft, action stage; 923 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2015: 4.82 ft, below flood stage; 550 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2015: 4.82 ft, below flood stage; 550 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2016: 4.87 ft, below flood stage; 535 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2016: 4.80 ft, below flood stage; 514 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2017: 6.97 ft, minor flooding; 1,230 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 6.03 ft, minor flooding; 896 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2018: 6.69 ft, minor flooding; 1,050 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 6.40 ft, minor flooding; 1,015 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 6.21 ft, minor flooding; 932 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 2019: 6.38 ft, minor flooding; 756 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 6.35 ft, minor flooding; 1,040 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2022: 7.28 ft, minor flooding; 1,350 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2024: 6.39 ft, minor flooding; 1,049 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2024: 6.81 ft, minor flooding; 1,207 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2025: 8.62 ft, moderate flooding; 2,368 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2026: 8.50 ft, moderate flooding; 2,530 cubic feet per second Highest, 8.85 ft, Jun 9, 2008 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Fox River at Waukesha 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 7 2000s: 8 2010s: 11 11 2020s: 6 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 57 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Fox River at Waukesha
1Jun 9, 20088.85+2.85Moderate2,440
2Aug 11, 20258.62+2.62Moderate2,368
3Apr 17, 20268.50+2.50Moderate2,530
4Apr 1, 19608.00+2.00Moderate2,500
5Jun 19, 20097.82+1.82Minor1,910
6Jul 25, 20107.67+1.67Minor—
7Apr 22, 19737.42+1.42Minor2,260
8Jul 2, 20007.34+1.34Minor1,730
9Sep 12, 20227.28+1.28Minor1,350
10May 24, 20046.97+0.97Minor1,300
11Jul 12, 20176.97+0.97Minor1,230
12Aug 8, 19986.96+0.96Minor1,460
13Apr 21, 19936.92+0.92Minor1,520
14Jun 5, 20246.81+0.81Minor1,207
15Jul 15, 20106.77+0.77Minor—
16Jun 23, 19976.74+0.74Minor1,320
17Apr 19, 20136.74+0.74Minor1,310
18Sep 5, 20186.69+0.69Minor1,050
19Apr 27, 20096.55+0.55Minor1,306
20Jul 27, 20066.53+0.53Minor1,200
21Mar 15, 20196.40+0.40Minor1,015
22Apr 3, 20246.39+0.39Minor1,049
23Oct 4, 20196.38+0.38Minor756
24May 19, 20206.35+0.35Minor1,040
25May 11, 19906.32+0.32Minor1,080
26Apr 12, 20086.32+0.32Minor1,210
27Jun 22, 20106.32+0.32Minor—
28Sep 13, 20196.21+0.21Minor932
29Apr 24, 19996.15+0.15Minor1,010
30Jun 26, 20136.15+0.15Minor—
31Jun 18, 19966.10+0.10Minor967
32Mar 20, 19796.09+0.09Minor1,270
33Sep 18, 19726.06+0.06Minor1,150
34Aug 12, 20026.05+0.05Minor963
35Aug 19, 19956.04+0.04Minor958
36Feb 20, 20186.03+0.03Minor896
37Apr 4, 19835.98−0.02Action1,060
38Apr 10, 20155.87−0.13Action923
39Mar 6, 19655.79−0.21Action1,240
40Jun 29, 19695.79−0.21Action1,220
41Mar 22, 19755.77−0.23Action1,200
42Apr 4, 20075.65−0.35Action947
43Sep 28, 19865.61−0.39Action955
44Mar 24, 20115.59−0.41Action—
45Jul 7, 19945.45−0.55Action800
46May 6, 20125.40−0.60Action—
47Apr 16, 19915.34−0.66Action710
48Sep 20, 20075.26−0.74Action681
49Mar 14, 20075.19−0.81Action780
50Jun 18, 20145.19−0.81Action597

The worst floods along the Fox River

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

June 9, 2008: 8.85 ft here, moderate flooding

April 17, 2026: 8.50 ft here, moderate flooding

  • New MunsterWI · Apr 19, 2026 · 15.04 ft · Major
  • RochesterWI · Apr 21, 2026 · 6.29 ft · Minor · its highest

April 1, 1960: 8.00 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Fox River

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

Flood gauges on the Fox River
AlgonquinIL3.04.50 ft, Apr 1, 191612
Algonquin tailwaterIL9.514.00 ft, Jul 5, 19386
BurlingtonWI11.016.15 ft, Jul 13, 20171
DaytonIL12.036.47 ft, Jan 25, 19605
ElginIL713.0713.11 ft, Jul 24, 20170
Fox LakeIL6.08.12 ft, Apr 5, 19606
Lake VillaIL6.08.90 ft, Jul 4, 19387
McHenry (Stratton Lock and Dam) tailwaterIL4.09.00 ft, Jul 5, 19386
MontgomeryIL13.516.50 ft, Jul 18, 19961
RochesterWI6.06.29 ft, Apr 21, 20260
South Elgin DamIL14.515.04 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Waukesha this gaugeWI6.08.85 ft, Jun 9, 20080
Yorkville (Palmer Dam)IL15.521.00 ft, Jul 18, 19961
AntiochIL6.08.34 ft, Apr 5, 19606
JohnsburgIL6.58.90 ft, Jul 4, 19382
New MunsterWI11.017.47 ft, Jul 13, 20175

Other gauges in Waukesha County

Flood gauges in Waukesha County
Menomonee Falls7.58.52 ft, Aug 10, 20250

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WKEW3, 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.