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Wisconsin River at Merrill

Highest listed crest 18.26 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft46 crests since 1903

The Wisconsin River at Merrill crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 46 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1903 to 2023. The highest, 18.26 ft on August 31, 1941, was major flooding, 7.26 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Wisconsin River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.26 ft
August 31, 1941; 49,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
2
46th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 14, 2023
13.28 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lincoln County
Wisconsin

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Wisconsin River at Merrill
Action stage10.02Mar 30, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.040Apr 14, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.51Sep 18, 1942Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.02Aug 31, 1941Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

46 crests from 1903 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wisconsin River at Merrill, 1903 to 2023 8101214161820ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Sep 16, 1903: 11.70 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1904: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1905: 12.00 ft, minor flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1912: 17.50 ft, major flooding; 45,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1916: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1920: 11.80 ft, minor flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1922: 11.20 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1923: 11.95 ft, minor flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1940: 11.07 ft, minor flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1941: 18.26 ft, major flooding; 49,400 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1942: 13.85 ft, moderate flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1950: 11.49 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1951: 11.30 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1959: 11.94 ft, minor flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1960: 11.24 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1967: 13.04 ft, minor flooding; 23,800 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1971: 11.65 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1972: 11.04 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1973: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1976: 11.84 ft, minor flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1979: 12.09 ft, minor flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1980: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1981: 11.95 ft, minor flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1982: 11.27 ft, minor flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1983: 11.40 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1986: 12.57 ft, minor flooding; 21,900 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1990: 11.71 ft, minor floodingJun 2, 1991: 11.50 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 1993: 12.25 ft, minor flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1994: 12.03 ft, minor flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1996: 12.95 ft, minor flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1997: 12.71 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 2001: 11.60 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 2002: 12.24 ft, minor flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2003: 11.51 ft, minor floodingSep 25, 2010: 12.23 ft, minor flooding; 20,482 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2011: 13.23 ft, minor flooding; 24,490 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2016: 11.43 ft, minor flooding; 17,435 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2017: 12.26 ft, minor flooding; 20,561 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2017: 11.65 ft, minor flooding; 18,254 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2018: 10.47 ft, action stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 12.40 ft, minor flooding; 19,300 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2020: 10.42 ft, action stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2021: 8.61 ft, below flood stage; 9,230 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2022: 11.97 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2023: 13.28 ft, minor flooding; 49,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.26 ft, Aug 31, 1941 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wisconsin River at Merrill 1900s: 3 1910s: 2 1920s: 3 1930s: 0 1940s: 3 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 5 1980s: 5 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 3 2010s: 6 2020s: 2 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Wisconsin River at Merrill
1Aug 31, 194118.26+7.26Major49,400
2Jul 24, 191217.50+6.50Major45,000
3Sep 18, 194213.85+2.85Moderate27,000
4Apr 14, 202313.28+2.28Minor49,400
5Apr 11, 201113.23+2.23Minor24,490
6Apr 2, 196713.04+2.04Minor23,800
7Apr 21, 199612.95+1.95Minor23,400
8Apr 6, 199712.71+1.71Minor—
9Apr 22, 191612.60+1.60Minor23,400
10May 3, 197312.60+1.60Minor22,000
11Apr 1, 198612.57+1.57Minor21,900
12Apr 19, 201912.40+1.40Minor19,300
13Sep 21, 198012.39+1.39Minor21,200
14May 19, 201712.26+1.26Minor20,561
15Jun 21, 199312.25+1.25Minor20,600
16Apr 13, 200212.24+1.24Minor21,200
17Sep 25, 201012.23+1.23Minor20,482
18Jun 17, 197912.09+1.09Minor20,000
19Sep 16, 199412.03+1.03Minor19,700
20Jun 17, 190512.00+1.00Minor23,000
21Apr 14, 202211.97+0.97Minor18,000
22Apr 22, 192311.95+0.95Minor20,700
23Jun 16, 198111.95+0.95Minor19,400
24Sep 27, 195911.94+0.94Minor19,600
25Mar 30, 197611.84+0.84Minor19,000
26Mar 27, 192011.80+0.80Minor20,500
27Jun 13, 199011.71+0.71Minor—
28Sep 16, 190311.70+0.70Minor21,800
29Apr 12, 197111.65+0.65Minor18,400
30Jun 13, 201711.65+0.65Minor18,254
31Apr 13, 200111.60+0.60Minor—
32May 12, 200311.51+0.51Minor—
33Jun 2, 199111.50+0.50Minor—
34Apr 19, 195011.49+0.49Minor18,100
35Mar 17, 201611.43+0.43Minor17,435
36Mar 8, 198311.40+0.40Minor17,200
37Apr 12, 195111.30+0.30Minor17,400
38Apr 18, 198211.27+0.27Minor16,700
39May 7, 196011.24+0.24Minor17,000
40Apr 11, 192211.20+0.20Minor18,400
41Jun 9, 194011.07+0.07Minor16,500
42Apr 18, 197211.04+0.04Minor16,300
43May 27, 190411.000.00Minor19,500
44Apr 25, 201810.47−0.53Action14,200
45Mar 30, 202010.42−0.58Action13,900
46Apr 13, 20218.61−2.39Below flood stage9,230

The worst floods along the Wisconsin River

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

August 31, 1941: 18.26 ft here, major flooding

  • RothschildWI · Sep 1, 1941 · 32.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • Rainbow ReservoirWI · Sep 5, 1941 · 7.59 ft · Moderate · its highest

April 14, 2023: 13.28 ft here, minor flooding

  • PortageWI · Apr 18, 2023 · 18.91 ft · Moderate
  • Alexander DamWI · Apr 14, 2023 · 1,260.53 ft · Minor · its highest
  • Wausau DamWI · Apr 18, 2023 · 1,169.87 ft · Minor · its highest
  • Stevens Point DamWI · Apr 12, 2023 · 1,077.57 ft · Minor
  • Whiting DamWI · Apr 12, 2023 · 1,054.04 ft · Minor
  • Biron DamWI · Apr 14, 2023 · 1,017.34 ft · Minor
  • RothschildWI · Apr 13, 2023 · 26.10 ft · Minor

April 11, 2011: 13.23 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Wisconsin River

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

Flood gauges on the Wisconsin River
Merrill this gaugeWI11.018.26 ft, Aug 31, 19412
MuscodaWI9.011.48 ft, Sep 16, 19382
PortageWI17.020.66 ft, Sep 28, 20108
Rainbow ReservoirWI6.07.59 ft, Sep 5, 19410
RothschildWI25.032.30 ft, Sep 1, 19416
Wisconsin DellsWI16.020.70 ft, Mar 16, 19733
Wisconsin RapidsWI12.018.80 ft, Jun 15, 18802
Alexander DamWI1,259.01,260.53 ft, Apr 14, 20230
Biron DamWI1,017.01,020.73 ft, Sep 25, 20100
Dubay DamWI1,098.01,103.11 ft, Sep 24, 20100
Stevens Point DamWI1,076.01,080.64 ft, Sep 24, 20100
Wausau DamWI1,167.01,169.87 ft, Apr 18, 20230
Whiting DamWI1,053.01,055.99 ft, Sep 25, 20100
Wisconsin Rapids DamWI991.0993.27 ft, Sep 25, 20100

Other gauges in Lincoln County

Flood gauges in Lincoln County
Merrill7.09.45 ft, Aug 31, 19410
Spirit Falls8.010.00 ft, Sep 18, 19420
Alexander Dam1,259.01,260.53 ft, Apr 14, 20230

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RRLW3, 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.