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Milwaukee River at Milwaukee-Estabrook Park

Highest listed crest 11.20 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft52 crests since 1940

The Milwaukee River at Milwaukee-Estabrook Park crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 52 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2025. The highest, 11.20 ft on August 10, 2025, was major flooding, 4.20 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Milwaukee River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.20 ft
August 10, 2025; 16,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
4
21st of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
August 10, 2025
11.20 ft, major flooding
Location
Milwaukee County
Near Whitefish Bay (1.0 mi), Shorewood (1.2 mi), Glendale (2.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Milwaukee River at Milwaukee-Estabrook Park
Action stage6.018Aug 8, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.010May 17, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.02Jun 7, 2008Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.04Aug 10, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

52 crests from 1940 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Milwaukee River at Milwaukee-Estabrook Park, 1940 to 2025 4681012ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 9.0 ft Jun 24, 1940: 7.10 ft, minor flooding; 6,570 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1943: 6.81 ft, action stage; 5,860 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1946: 7.00 ft, minor flooding; 6,330 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1948: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 8,080 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1952: 7.13 ft, minor flooding; 7,010 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1953: 6.89 ft, action stage; 6,580 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1959: 7.92 ft, minor flooding; 8,780 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1960: 8.05 ft, moderate flooding; 9,300 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1973: 9.29 ft, major flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1974: 6.61 ft, action stage; 6,190 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1975: 7.53 ft, minor flooding; 8,100 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1976: 6.59 ft, action stage; 6,050 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1977: 6.39 ft, action stage; 5,650 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1978: 7.46 ft, minor flooding; 7,920 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1979: 6.34 ft, action stage; 5,550 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1981: 6.19 ft, action stage; 5,160 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1984: 6.54 ft, action stage; 5,880 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1984: 6.57 ft, action stage; 5,880 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1986: 6.35 ft, action stage; 5,920 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1991: 4.96 ft, below flood stage; 3,256 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1992: 4.88 ft, below flood stage; 3,124 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1993: 6.87 ft, action stage; 7,080 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1994: 4.36 ft, below flood stage; 2,323 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1995: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 4,550 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1996: 6.50 ft, action stage; 6,240 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1997: 10.00 ft, major flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1998: 7.50 ft, minor flooding; 8,600 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1999: 6.03 ft, action stage; 5,250 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 6.93 ft, action stage; 7,220 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2007: 5.54 ft, below flood stageApr 3, 2007: 5.74 ft, below flood stageMar 31, 2008: 4.55 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 2008: 5.60 ft, below flood stageJun 7, 2008: 8.07 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2009: 4.05 ft, below flood stageMar 11, 2009: 5.81 ft, below flood stageMar 14, 2010: 4.93 ft, below flood stageJul 15, 2010: 5.77 ft, below flood stageJul 22, 2010: 10.48 ft, major flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2011: 5.86 ft, below flood stageApr 12, 2013: 6.56 ft, action stage; 6,500 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2014: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 4,880 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2015: 7.15 ft, minor flooding; 8,180 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2016: 4.74 ft, below flood stage; 3,140 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2017: 5.09 ft, below flood stage; 3,670 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2018: 6.85 ft, action stage; 6,930 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 6.77 ft, action stage; 6,730 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 7.13 ft, minor flooding; 7,560 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2021: 6.55 ft, action stage; 6,170 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2022: 5.19 ft, below flood stage; 3,860 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2023: 4.89 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2025: 11.20 ft, major flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.20 ft, Aug 10, 2025 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Milwaukee River at Milwaukee-Estabrook Park 1940s: 3 3 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 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 52 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Milwaukee River at Milwaukee-Estabrook Park
1Aug 10, 202511.20+4.20Major16,200
2Jul 22, 201010.48+3.48Major18,200
3Jun 21, 199710.00+3.00Major16,500
4Apr 21, 19739.29+2.29Major12,600
5Jun 7, 20088.07+1.07Moderate10,400
6Mar 31, 19608.05+1.05Moderate9,300
7Apr 3, 19597.92+0.92Minor8,780
8Mar 19, 19487.55+0.55Minor8,080
9Mar 24, 19757.53+0.53Minor8,100
10Aug 6, 19987.50+0.50Minor8,600
11Jul 2, 19787.46+0.46Minor7,920
12Apr 9, 20157.15+0.15Minor8,180
13Mar 22, 19527.13+0.13Minor7,010
14May 17, 20207.13+0.13Minor7,560
15Jun 24, 19407.10+0.10Minor6,570
16Mar 15, 19467.000.00Minor6,330
17May 24, 20046.93−0.07Action7,220
18Jun 5, 19536.89−0.11Action6,580
19Apr 19, 19936.87−0.13Action7,080
20Aug 28, 20186.85−0.15Action6,930
21Mar 16, 19436.81−0.19Action5,860
22Mar 17, 20196.77−0.23Action6,730
23Mar 4, 19746.61−0.39Action6,190
24Mar 4, 19766.59−0.41Action6,050
25Jul 10, 19846.57−0.43Action5,880
26Apr 12, 20136.56−0.44Action6,500
27Aug 8, 20216.55−0.45Action6,170
28Mar 30, 19846.54−0.46Action5,880
29Jun 19, 19966.50−0.50Action6,240
30Jun 11, 19776.39−0.61Action5,650
31Sep 11, 19866.35−0.65Action5,920
32Mar 23, 19796.34−0.66Action5,550
33Jul 13, 19816.19−0.81Action5,160
34Apr 9, 19996.03−0.97Action5,250
35Mar 23, 20115.86−1.14Below flood stage—
36Mar 11, 20095.81−1.19Below flood stage—
37Jul 15, 20105.77−1.23Below flood stage—
38Apr 3, 20075.74−1.26Below flood stage—
39Aug 28, 19955.68−1.32Below flood stage4,550
40Apr 15, 20145.68−1.32Below flood stage4,880
41Apr 11, 20085.60−1.40Below flood stage—
42Mar 16, 20075.54−1.46Below flood stage—
43Sep 12, 20225.19−1.81Below flood stage3,860
44Jun 28, 20175.09−1.91Below flood stage3,670
45Jul 1, 19914.96−2.04Below flood stage3,256
46Mar 14, 20104.93−2.07Below flood stage—
47Apr 5, 20234.89−2.11Below flood stage3,250
48Nov 1, 19924.88−2.12Below flood stage3,124
49Mar 31, 20164.74−2.26Below flood stage3,140
50Mar 31, 20084.55−2.45Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Milwaukee River

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

August 10, 2025: 11.20 ft here, major flooding

  • CedarburgWI · Aug 12, 2025 · 12.91 ft · Minor

June 7, 2008: 8.07 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SaukvilleWI · Jun 13, 2008 · 16.75 ft · Major · its highest
  • CedarburgWI · Jun 13, 2008 · 13.98 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • WaubekaWI · Jun 9, 2008 · 10.49 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Milwaukee River

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

Flood gauges on the Milwaukee River
Milwaukee-Estabrook Park this gaugeWI7.011.20 ft, Aug 10, 20254
SaukvilleWI13.516.75 ft, Jun 13, 20081
WaubekaWI9.513.77 ft, Mar 16, 20191
CedarburgWI11.013.98 ft, Jun 13, 20080

Other gauges in Milwaukee County

Flood gauges in Milwaukee County
Milwaukee16.017.19 ft, Aug 10, 20250
Wauwatosa11.018.63 ft, Jun 21, 19972
South Milwaukee8.011.56 ft, Jun 7, 20082
Franklin8.011.71 ft, Aug 10, 20250

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MEEW3, 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.