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Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids

Highest listed crest 18.80 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft31 crests since 1880

The Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1880 to 2022. The highest, 18.80 ft on June 15, 1880, was major flooding, 6.80 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.80 ft
June 15, 1880
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.5 ft
Crests at major
2
46th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 19, 2019
13.68 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Wood County
Near Wisconsin Rapids (0.0 mi)

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 Wisconsin Rapids
Action stage10.011Apr 7, 1997The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.08Mar 18, 2016Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.55Apr 19, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.52Sep 25, 2010Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

31 crests from 1880 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids, 1880 to 2022 5101520ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 14.5 ft Jun 15, 1880: 18.80 ft, major floodingOct 8, 1911: 13.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 11, 1922: 13.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 24, 1935: 14.10 ft, moderate flooding; 75,000 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1938: 14.00 ft, moderate flooding; 70,400 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1951: 12.30 ft, minor flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1960: 12.00 ft, minor flooding; 62,500 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1965: 12.80 ft, minor flooding; 64,700 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1967: 12.20 ft, minor flooding; 65,000 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1969: 11.00 ft, action stage; 46,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1971: 11.01 ft, action stage; 46,000 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1972: 11.50 ft, action stage; 55,700 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1973: 12.00 ft, minor flooding; 61,800 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1973: 11.82 ft, action stage; 56,000 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1973: 11.00 ft, action stage; 50,250 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1980: 11.67 ft, action stage; 58,400 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1983: 11.61 ft, action stage; 59,300 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1986: 11.60 ft, action stage; 58,900 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1990: 11.50 ft, action stage; 55,900 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1993: 12.50 ft, minor flooding; 64,600 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1996: 10.50 ft, action stage; 47,133 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1997: 10.60 ft, action stage; 48,187 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2002: 7.90 ft, below flood stageApr 20, 2003: 8.20 ft, below flood stageSep 25, 2010: 14.80 ft, major flooding; 78,746 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2011: 12.90 ft, minor flooding; 67,074 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2016: 12.40 ft, minor flooding; 61,468 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 13.68 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 2020: 9.68 ft, below flood stage; 39,300 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2021: 7.03 ft, below flood stage; 22,600 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2022: 8.95 ft, below flood stage; 33,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.80 ft, Jun 15, 1880 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Rapids 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 3 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 0 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 Wisconsin Rapids
1Jun 15, 188018.80+6.80Major—
2Sep 25, 201014.80+2.80Major78,746
3Mar 24, 193514.10+2.10Moderate75,000
4Sep 12, 193814.00+2.00Moderate70,400
5Apr 19, 201913.68+1.68Moderate—
6Oct 8, 191113.60+1.60Moderate—
7Apr 11, 192213.50+1.50Moderate—
8Apr 12, 201112.90+0.90Minor67,074
9Apr 13, 196512.80+0.80Minor64,700
10Jun 21, 199312.50+0.50Minor64,600
11Mar 18, 201612.40+0.40Minor61,468
12Apr 9, 195112.30+0.30Minor54,000
13Apr 3, 196712.20+0.20Minor65,000
14May 8, 196012.000.00Minor62,500
15Mar 16, 197312.000.00Minor61,800
16Apr 17, 197311.82−0.18Action56,000
17Jun 7, 198011.67−0.33Action58,400
18Mar 7, 198311.61−0.39Action59,300
19Sep 27, 198611.60−0.40Action58,900
20Apr 20, 197211.50−0.50Action55,700
21Jun 15, 199011.50−0.50Action55,900
22Apr 11, 197111.01−0.99Action46,000
23Jun 28, 196911.00−1.00Action46,000
24May 4, 197311.00−1.00Action50,250
25Apr 7, 199710.60−1.40Action48,187
26Apr 21, 199610.50−1.50Action47,133
27Mar 31, 20209.68−2.32Below flood stage39,300
28Apr 15, 20228.95−3.05Below flood stage33,300
29Apr 20, 20038.20−3.80Below flood stage—
30Jun 23, 20027.90−4.10Below flood stage—
31Aug 29, 20217.03−4.97Below flood stage22,600

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 25, 2010: 14.80 ft here, major flooding

  • RothschildWI · Sep 24, 2010 · 29.46 ft · Major
  • PortageWI · Sep 28, 2010 · 20.66 ft · Major · its highest
  • Dubay DamWI · Sep 24, 2010 · 1,103.11 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Stevens Point DamWI · Sep 24, 2010 · 1,080.64 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Biron DamWI · Sep 25, 2010 · 1,020.73 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Wisconsin Rapids DamWI · Sep 25, 2010 · 993.27 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Wausau DamWI · Sep 24, 2010 · 1,169.50 ft · Minor
  • Whiting DamWI · Sep 25, 2010 · 1,055.99 ft · Minor · its highest
  • Wisconsin DellsWI · Sep 27, 2010 · 17.56 ft · Minor
  • MerrillWI · Sep 25, 2010 · 12.23 ft · Minor

March 24, 1935: 14.10 ft here, moderate flooding

September 12, 1938: 14.00 ft here, moderate 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
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 Rapids this gaugeWI12.018.80 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 Wood County

Flood gauges in Wood County
Biron Dam1,017.01,020.73 ft, Sep 25, 20100
Wisconsin Rapids Dam991.0993.27 ft, Sep 25, 20100
Babcock12.018.43 ft, Sep 24, 20103
Pittsville13.017.60 ft, Sep 24, 20101

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WIRW3, 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.