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South Branch Rock River at Waupun

Highest listed crest 10.09 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft51 crests since 1950

The South Branch Rock River at Waupun crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2026. The highest, 10.09 ft on June 13, 2008, was major flooding, 4.09 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.09 ft
June 13, 2008; 2,350 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
1
64th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 16, 2026
6.03 ft, minor flooding
Location
Fond du Lac County
Near Waupun (1.1 mi), Beaver Dam (12.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Branch Rock River at Waupun
Action stage4.022Mar 21, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.020Apr 16, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.04Jun 23, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.01Jun 13, 2008Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1950 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Branch Rock River at Waupun, 1950 to 2026 24681012ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Mar 27, 1950: 6.56 ft, minor flooding; 818 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1951: 5.95 ft, action stage; 584 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1952: 6.96 ft, minor flooding; 1,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1953: 5.70 ft, action stage; 507 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1954: 5.91 ft, action stage; 570 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1956: 6.65 ft, minor flooding; 753 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1959: 7.97 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 7.50 ft, minor flooding; 1,150 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1960: 5.32 ft, action stage; 369 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1962: 7.46 ft, minor flooding; 990 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1965: 5.39 ft, action stage; 371 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 7.85 ft, minor flooding; 1,280 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1969: 5.99 ft, action stage; 510 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1989: 5.73 ft, action stage; 376 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1990: 4.91 ft, action stage; 375 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1991: 5.31 ft, action stage; 431 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1992: 5.01 ft, action stage; 389 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1993: 7.53 ft, minor flooding; 920 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1994: 5.47 ft, action stage; 453 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1995: 4.99 ft, action stage; 386 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1996: 6.49 ft, minor flooding; 530 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1997: 5.06 ft, action stage; 396 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1998: 5.55 ft, action stage; 465 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1999: 7.18 ft, minor flooding; 809 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 7.17 ft, minor flooding; 620 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2004: 6.74 ft, minor flooding; 544 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2004: 8.20 ft, moderate flooding; 1,120 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2007: 4.40 ft, action stageApr 1, 2008: 4.58 ft, action stageApr 11, 2008: 5.55 ft, action stageJun 9, 2008: 8.27 ft, moderate floodingJun 13, 2008: 10.09 ft, major flooding; 2,350 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2009: 3.61 ft, below flood stageMar 25, 2009: 5.71 ft, action stageApr 27, 2009: 4.87 ft, action stageMar 12, 2010: 4.67 ft, action stageJul 16, 2010: 5.68 ft, action stageJul 23, 2010: 6.60 ft, minor flooding; 739 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2011: 5.18 ft, action stageJun 19, 2014: 6.00 ft, minor floodingOct 14, 2014: 3.36 ft, below flood stage; 165 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2015: 3.80 ft, below flood stage; 223 cubic feet per secondOct 27, 2016: 3.72 ft, below flood stage; 226 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2018: 7.30 ft, minor flooding; 936 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2018: 7.43 ft, minor flooding; 985 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 8.66 ft, moderate flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2019: 7.92 ft, minor flooding; 1,130 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2021: 6.28 ft, minor flooding; 617 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2024: 8.24 ft, moderate flooding; 1,321 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2024: 6.85 ft, minor flooding; 780 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2026: 6.03 ft, minor flooding; 559 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.09 ft, Jun 13, 2008 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Branch Rock River at Waupun 1950s: 4 1960s: 3 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 2000s: 5 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 4 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Branch Rock River at Waupun
1Jun 13, 200810.09+4.09Major2,350
2Mar 15, 20198.66+2.66Moderate1,520
3Jun 9, 20088.27+2.27Moderate—
4Jun 23, 20248.24+2.24Moderate1,321
5Jun 11, 20048.20+2.20Moderate1,120
6Apr 3, 19597.97+1.97Minor1,500
7Oct 2, 20197.92+1.92Minor1,130
8Feb 10, 19667.85+1.85Minor1,280
9Jul 6, 19937.53+1.53Minor920
10Mar 30, 19607.50+1.50Minor1,150
11Mar 28, 19627.46+1.46Minor990
12Aug 29, 20187.43+1.43Minor985
13May 4, 20187.30+1.30Minor936
14Jul 21, 19997.18+1.18Minor809
15May 24, 20047.17+1.17Minor620
16Mar 21, 19526.96+0.96Minor1,000
17Jul 6, 20246.85+0.85Minor780
18May 31, 20046.74+0.74Minor544
19Apr 2, 19566.65+0.65Minor753
20Jul 23, 20106.60+0.60Minor739
21Mar 27, 19506.56+0.56Minor818
22Jun 19, 19966.49+0.49Minor530
23Aug 8, 20216.28+0.28Minor617
24Apr 16, 20266.03+0.03Minor559
25Jun 19, 20146.000.00Minor—
26Jun 27, 19695.99−0.01Action510
27Mar 29, 19515.95−0.05Action584
28Oct 4, 19545.91−0.09Action570
29Mar 26, 19895.73−0.27Action376
30Mar 25, 20095.71−0.29Action—
31Feb 21, 19535.70−0.30Action507
32Jul 16, 20105.68−0.32Action—
33Mar 31, 19985.55−0.45Action465
34Apr 11, 20085.55−0.45Action—
35Feb 20, 19945.47−0.53Action453
36Mar 2, 19655.39−0.61Action371
37Nov 16, 19605.32−0.68Action369
38Mar 2, 19915.31−0.69Action431
39Mar 21, 20115.18−0.82Action—
40Mar 22, 19975.06−0.94Action396
41Oct 25, 19925.01−0.99Action389
42Aug 9, 19954.99−1.01Action386
43Mar 14, 19904.91−1.09Action375
44Apr 27, 20094.87−1.13Action—
45Mar 12, 20104.67−1.33Action—
46Apr 1, 20084.58−1.42Action—
47Mar 13, 20074.40−1.60Action—
48Apr 10, 20153.80−2.20Below flood stage223
49Oct 27, 20163.72−2.28Below flood stage226
50Feb 11, 20093.61−2.39Below flood stage—

Fond du Lac County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wisconsin

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WPNW3, 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.