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La Crosse River at Sparta

Highest listed crest 12.26 ftFlood stage 8.5 ft17 crests since 1992

The La Crosse River at Sparta crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1992 to 2026. The highest, 12.26 ft on July 20, 2017, was major flooding, 3.76 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the La Crosse River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.26 ft
July 20, 2017; 2,781 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.5 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
2
46th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
July 2, 2026
9.38 ft, minor flooding
Location
Monroe County
Wisconsin

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, La Crosse River at Sparta
Action stage6.06May 30, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.58Jul 2, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.01Aug 29, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.02Jul 20, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1992 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the La Crosse River at Sparta, 1992 to 2026 68101214ft Flood stage 8.5 ftMajor 11.0 ft Jul 17, 1992: 8.63 ft, minor flooding; 1,070 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1993: 8.78 ft, minor flooding; 1,100 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1994: 7.84 ft, action stage; 915 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1995: 7.03 ft, action stage; 761 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1998: 8.94 ft, minor flooding; 1,270 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2000: 7.34 ft, action stage; 915 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2001: 7.15 ft, action stage; 873 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2004: 11.01 ft, major flooding; 2,620 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2010: 8.31 ft, action stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 7.02 ft, action stage; 912 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2016: 8.78 ft, minor flooding; 1,410 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2017: 12.26 ft, major flooding; 2,781 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2018: 10.71 ft, moderate flooding; 2,101 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 9.09 ft, minor flooding; 1,461 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 2024: 8.66 ft, minor floodingJun 27, 2025: 8.99 ft, minor flooding; 1,379 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2026: 9.38 ft, minor flooding; 1,529 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.26 ft, Jul 20, 2017 200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, La Crosse River at Sparta 1990s: 3 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 3 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, La Crosse River at Sparta
1Jul 20, 201712.26+3.76Major2,781
2Jun 17, 200411.01+2.51Major2,620
3Aug 29, 201810.71+2.21Moderate2,101
4Jul 2, 20269.38+0.88Minor1,529
5Mar 15, 20199.09+0.59Minor1,461
6Jun 27, 20258.99+0.49Minor1,379
7Jun 28, 19988.94+0.44Minor1,270
8Jun 20, 19938.78+0.28Minor1,100
9Sep 22, 20168.78+0.28Minor1,410
10Jul 14, 20248.66+0.16Minor—
11Jul 17, 19928.63+0.13Minor1,070
12Sep 24, 20108.31−0.19Action1,290
13Sep 14, 19947.84−0.66Action915
14Jun 2, 20007.34−1.16Action915
15Jun 12, 20017.15−1.35Action873
16Aug 20, 19957.03−1.47Action761
17May 30, 20137.02−1.48Action912

The worst floods along the La Crosse River

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

July 20, 2017: 12.26 ft here, major flooding

  • La CrosseWI · Jul 22, 2017 · 11.94 ft · Moderate · its highest

June 17, 2004: 11.01 ft here, major flooding

  • La CrosseWI · Jun 13, 2004 · 8.67 ft · Minor

August 29, 2018: 10.71 ft here, moderate flooding

  • La CrosseWI · Aug 30, 2018 · 11.80 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the La Crosse River

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

Flood gauges on the La Crosse River
Sparta this gaugeWI8.512.26 ft, Jul 20, 20172
La CrosseWI7.511.94 ft, Jul 22, 20170

Other gauges in Monroe County

Flood gauges in Monroe County
Kendall Village5.06.70 ft, Apr 4, 20260
Fort McCoy - Hawk Road5.56.16 ft, Jun 30, 20250
Ontario - Niagara Ave5.35.68 ft, Apr 4, 20260
Ontario16.028.50 ft, Aug 28, 20189
Wilton6.07.35 ft, Apr 4, 20260
Norwalk8.08.07 ft, Jul 2, 20260
Wilton - County Road T10.010.24 ft, Jul 2, 20260
State Highway 21 Near Angelo9.010.02 ft, Jul 20, 20170

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SPAW3, 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.