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Wisconsin River at Portage

Highest listed crest 20.66 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft50 crests since 1938

The Wisconsin River at Portage crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 50 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2026. The highest, 20.66 ft on September 28, 2010, was major flooding, 3.66 feet above flood stage. 11 other gauges on the Wisconsin River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.66 ft
September 28, 2010; 67,490 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
8
6th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 17, 2026
20.47 ft, major flooding
Location
Columbia County
Near Baraboo (14.1 mi)
Identifiers
NWS PORW3
No USGS station

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 Portage
Action stage12.719Mar 25, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.09Apr 25, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.014Jun 26, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.08Apr 17, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

50 crests from 1938 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wisconsin River at Portage, 1938 to 2026 1416182022ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Sep 14, 1938: 20.50 ft, major flooding; 56,400 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 20.20 ft, major flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1991: 18.40 ft, moderate floodingMay 7, 1993: 17.10 ft, minor flooding; 36,400 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1993: 19.58 ft, major flooding; 52,450 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1994: 16.98 ft, action stage; 34,820 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1995: 16.45 ft, action stage; 33,750 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1996: 18.93 ft, moderate flooding; 49,500 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1997: 18.12 ft, moderate flooding; 45,380 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1998: 17.50 ft, minor flooding; 37,200 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2002: 18.10 ft, moderate flooding; 44,500 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2003: 17.94 ft, minor flooding; 44,120 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2003: 18.45 ft, moderate flooding; 48,050 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2004: 15.70 ft, action stage; 23,089 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2008: 16.85 ft, action stageApr 23, 2008: 18.59 ft, moderate floodingJun 10, 2008: 15.66 ft, action stage; 22,904 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2009: 15.34 ft, action stage; 21,414 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2010: 16.43 ft, action stage; 26,695 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2010: 16.30 ft, action stage; 25,993 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2010: 20.66 ft, major flooding; 67,490 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2011: 14.60 ft, action stage; 18,355 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2011: 19.40 ft, major floodingMay 1, 2011: 15.80 ft, action stage; 23,557 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2011: 15.60 ft, action stage; 22,628 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2012: 15.11 ft, action stage; 20,459 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2014: 17.84 ft, minor flooding; 37,017 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 2014: 14.82 ft, action stage; 19,243 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2015: 15.54 ft, action stageMay 30, 2015: 16.30 ft, action stage; 25,993 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2015: 16.30 ft, action stage; 25,993 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2015: 18.15 ft, moderate flooding; 39,569 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2016: 19.62 ft, major flooding; 49,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2017: 18.44 ft, moderate floodingMay 22, 2017: 18.30 ft, moderate flooding; 40,270 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2017: 16.73 ft, action stage; 26,723 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2017: 15.86 ft, action stageApr 28, 2018: 17.36 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 2018: 17.49 ft, minor flooding; 34,285 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2018: 18.02 ft, moderate flooding; 38,483 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 18.86 ft, moderate flooding; 44,870 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2019: 17.73 ft, minor flooding; 36,007 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2019: 20.08 ft, major flooding; 54,823 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2020: 18.18 ft, moderate flooding; 39,510 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2022: 15.72 ft, action stageApr 18, 2023: 18.91 ft, moderate flooding; 45,268 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2024: 18.01 ft, moderate flooding; 38,161 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2025: 17.88 ft, minor flooding; 37,151 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2025: 17.80 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 2026: 20.47 ft, major flooding Highest, 20.66 ft, Sep 28, 2010 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wisconsin River at Portage 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 6 2000s: 4 2010s: 13 13 2020s: 6 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 Portage
1Sep 28, 201020.66+3.66Major67,490
2Sep 14, 193820.50+3.50Major56,400
3Apr 17, 202620.47+3.47Major—
4Mar 17, 197320.20+3.20Major54,000
5Apr 22, 201920.08+3.08Major54,823
6Mar 20, 201619.62+2.62Major49,000
7Jun 25, 199319.58+2.58Major52,450
8Apr 14, 201119.40+2.40Major—
9Apr 23, 199618.93+1.93Moderate49,500
10Apr 18, 202318.91+1.91Moderate45,268
11Mar 17, 201918.86+1.86Moderate44,870
12Apr 23, 200818.59+1.59Moderate—
13May 15, 200318.45+1.45Moderate48,050
14Feb 27, 201718.44+1.44Moderate—
15Dec 7, 199118.40+1.40Moderate—
16May 22, 201718.30+1.30Moderate40,270
17Apr 1, 202018.18+1.18Moderate39,510
18Dec 17, 201518.15+1.15Moderate39,569
19Apr 9, 199718.12+1.12Moderate45,380
20Apr 16, 200218.10+1.10Moderate44,500
21Oct 15, 201818.02+1.02Moderate38,483
22Jun 26, 202418.01+1.01Moderate38,161
23Apr 20, 200317.94+0.94Minor44,120
24Apr 2, 202517.88+0.88Minor37,151
25Apr 14, 201417.84+0.84Minor37,017
26Apr 25, 202517.80+0.80Minor—
27Mar 28, 201917.73+0.73Minor36,007
28Apr 3, 199817.50+0.50Minor37,200
29Jun 21, 201817.49+0.49Minor34,285
30Apr 28, 201817.36+0.36Minor—
31May 7, 199317.10+0.10Minor36,400
32Apr 29, 199416.98−0.02Action34,820
33Apr 13, 200816.85−0.15Action—
34Jun 16, 201716.73−0.27Action26,723
35Sep 1, 199516.45−0.55Action33,750
36Jul 18, 201016.43−0.57Action26,695
37Jul 25, 201016.30−0.70Action25,993
38May 30, 201516.30−0.70Action25,993
39Jun 12, 201516.30−0.70Action25,993
40Jun 22, 201715.86−1.14Action—
41May 1, 201115.80−1.20Action23,557
42Mar 25, 202215.72−1.28Action—
43May 27, 200415.70−1.30Action23,089
44Jun 10, 200815.66−1.34Action22,904
45Jun 26, 201115.60−1.40Action22,628
46Apr 15, 201515.54−1.46Action—
47May 1, 200915.34−1.66Action21,414
48May 9, 201215.11−1.89Action20,459
49Oct 18, 201414.82−2.18Action19,243
50Mar 23, 201114.60−2.40Action18,355

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.

September 28, 2010: 20.66 ft here, major flooding

September 14, 1938: 20.50 ft here, major flooding

April 17, 2026: 20.47 ft here, major 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
MerrillWI11.018.26 ft, Aug 31, 19412
MuscodaWI9.011.48 ft, Sep 16, 19382
Portage this gaugeWI17.020.66 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 Columbia County

Flood gauges in Columbia County
Columbus17.520.10 ft, Jun 10, 20081
Pardeeville9.09.35 ft, Mar 15, 20190
Lodi6.59.00 ft, Mar 14, 20198

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PORW3, 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.