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La Crosse River near La Crosse

Highest listed crest 11.94 ftFlood stage 7.5 ft22 crests since 1998

The La Crosse River near La Crosse crested above flood stage 19 times among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1998 to 2026. The highest, 11.94 ft on July 22, 2017, was moderate flooding, 4.44 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
11.94 ft
July 22, 2017; 4,178 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.5 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
19 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 5, 2026
8.77 ft, minor flooding
Location
La Crosse County
Near Onalaska (2.0 mi), La Crosse (2.6 mi), Holmen (8.1 mi)

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 near La Crosse
Action stage6.03May 30, 2009The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.512Jul 5, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.07Mar 16, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1998 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the La Crosse River near La Crosse, 1998 to 2026 681012ft Flood stage 7.5 ft Jun 29, 1998: 9.18 ft, moderate flooding; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2000: 7.70 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 2002: 6.71 ft, action stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2003: 6.09 ft, action stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2004: 8.67 ft, minor flooding; 1,870 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2006: 7.62 ft, minor flooding; 1,510 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2007: 8.78 ft, minor flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2007: 8.40 ft, minor flooding; 1,770 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2008: 10.59 ft, moderate flooding; 3,370 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2009: 8.90 ft, minor flooding; 1,950 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2009: 7.07 ft, action stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2010: 8.92 ft, minor flooding; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2013: 8.10 ft, minor flooding; 1,382 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2016: 10.48 ft, moderate flooding; 3,310 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2017: 11.94 ft, moderate flooding; 4,178 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2018: 11.80 ft, moderate flooding; 4,050 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 2018: 9.23 ft, moderate flooding; 2,186 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2019: 11.13 ft, moderate flooding; 3,483 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2024: 8.16 ft, minor floodingJun 27, 2025: 8.65 ft, minor flooding; 1,801 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2026: 7.57 ft, minor flooding; 1,442 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2026: 8.77 ft, minor flooding; 1,849 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.94 ft, Jul 22, 2017 200020052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, La Crosse River near La Crosse 1990s: 1 2000s: 7 7 2010s: 7 2020s: 4 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 near La Crosse
1Jul 22, 201711.94+4.44Moderate4,178
2Aug 30, 201811.80+4.30Moderate4,050
3Mar 16, 201911.13+3.63Moderate3,483
4Jun 11, 200810.59+3.09Moderate3,370
5Sep 24, 201610.48+2.98Moderate3,310
6Sep 6, 20189.23+1.73Moderate2,186
7Jun 29, 19989.18+1.68Moderate2,070
8Sep 26, 20108.92+1.42Minor1,940
9Feb 12, 20098.90+1.40Minor1,950
10Mar 14, 20078.78+1.28Minor2,000
11Jul 5, 20268.77+1.27Minor1,849
12Jun 13, 20048.67+1.17Minor1,870
13Jun 27, 20258.65+1.15Minor1,801
14Aug 19, 20078.40+0.90Minor1,770
15Jul 17, 20248.16+0.66Minor—
16Mar 31, 20138.10+0.60Minor1,382
17May 20, 20007.70+0.20Minor—
18May 31, 20067.62+0.12Minor1,510
19Apr 7, 20267.57+0.07Minor1,442
20May 30, 20097.07−0.43Action1,340
21Jun 5, 20026.71−0.79Action1,170
22Mar 16, 20036.09−1.41Action1,030

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 22, 2017: 11.94 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SpartaWI · Jul 20, 2017 · 12.26 ft · Major · its highest

August 30, 2018: 11.80 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SpartaWI · Aug 29, 2018 · 10.71 ft · Moderate

March 16, 2019: 11.13 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SpartaWI · Mar 15, 2019 · 9.09 ft · Minor

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
SpartaWI8.512.26 ft, Jul 20, 20172
La Crosse this gaugeWI7.511.94 ft, Jul 22, 20170

Other gauges in La Crosse County

Flood gauges in La Crosse County
Galesville12.016.79 ft, Sep 25, 20104
La Crosse - Pool 812.017.89 ft, Apr 22, 19654

La Crosse County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wisconsin

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LCRW3, 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.