Wisconsin River below Alexander Dam
Highest listed crest 1,260.53 ftFlood stage 1,259.0 ft4 crests since 2016
The Wisconsin River below Alexander Dam crested above flood stage 3 times among the 4 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2016 to 2023. The highest, 1,260.53 ft on April 14, 2023, was minor flooding, 1.53 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Wisconsin River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.
The gauge
- Highest listed crest
- 1,260.53 ft
- April 14, 2023
- Flood stage
- 1,259.0 ft
- Major flooding from 1,263.0 ft
- Crests at major
- 0
- 3 above flood stage
- Most recent flood crest
- April 14, 2023
- 1,260.53 ft, minor flooding
Flood stages
The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.
| Action stage | 1,256.0 | 1 | Oct 16, 2016 |
| Flood stage (minor) | 1,259.0 | 3 | Apr 14, 2023 |
| Moderate flood stage | 1,261.0 | 0 | — |
| Major flood stage | 1,263.0 | 0 | — |
Every listed crest
4 crests from 2016 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.
Crests at or above flood stage, by decade
- 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.
- 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
| 1 | Apr 14, 2023 | 1,260.53 | +1.53 | Minor |
| 2 | May 19, 2017 | 1,260.32 | +1.32 | Minor |
| 3 | Jun 13, 2017 | 1,260.13 | +1.13 | Minor |
| 4 | Oct 16, 2016 | 1,258.00 | −1.00 | Action |
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.
April 14, 2023: 1,260.53 ft here, minor flooding
- PortageWI · Apr 18, 2023 · 18.91 ft · Moderate
- 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
- MerrillWI · Apr 14, 2023 · 13.28 ft · Minor
May 19, 2017: 1,260.32 ft here, minor flooding
- PortageWI · May 22, 2017 · 18.30 ft · Moderate
- Wausau DamWI · May 19, 2017 · 1,168.77 ft · Minor
- Stevens Point DamWI · May 19, 2017 · 1,077.85 ft · Minor
- Whiting DamWI · May 19, 2017 · 1,054.19 ft · Minor
- Biron DamWI · May 20, 2017 · 1,017.62 ft · Minor
- RothschildWI · May 19, 2017 · 25.84 ft · Minor
- MerrillWI · May 19, 2017 · 12.26 ft · Minor
June 13, 2017: 1,260.13 ft here, minor flooding
- Wausau DamWI · Jun 13, 2017 · 1,167.50 ft · Minor
- MerrillWI · Jun 13, 2017 · 11.65 ft · Minor
Gauges on the Wisconsin River
Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.
| Merrill | WI | 18.26 ft, Aug 31, 1941 | 2 |
| Muscoda | WI | 11.48 ft, Sep 16, 1938 | 2 |
| Portage | WI | 20.66 ft, Sep 28, 2010 | 8 |
| Rainbow Reservoir | WI | 7.59 ft, Sep 5, 1941 | 0 |
| Rothschild | WI | 32.30 ft, Sep 1, 1941 | 6 |
| Wisconsin Dells | WI | 20.70 ft, Mar 16, 1973 | 3 |
| Wisconsin Rapids | WI | 18.80 ft, Jun 15, 1880 | 2 |
| Alexander Dam this gauge | WI | 1,260.53 ft, Apr 14, 2023 | 0 |
| Biron Dam | WI | 1,020.73 ft, Sep 25, 2010 | 0 |
| Dubay Dam | WI | 1,103.11 ft, Sep 24, 2010 | 0 |
| Stevens Point Dam | WI | 1,080.64 ft, Sep 24, 2010 | 0 |
| Wausau Dam | WI | 1,169.87 ft, Apr 18, 2023 | 0 |
| Whiting Dam | WI | 1,055.99 ft, Sep 25, 2010 | 0 |
| Wisconsin Rapids Dam | WI | 993.27 ft, Sep 25, 2010 | 0 |
Other gauges in Lincoln County
| Merrill | 9.45 ft, Aug 31, 1941 | 0 |
| Spirit Falls | 10.00 ft, Sep 18, 1942 | 0 |
| Merrill | 18.26 ft, Aug 31, 1941 | 2 |
Lincoln County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wisconsin
NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ALXW3, 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.