Wisconsin River below Wausau Dam

Highest listed crest 1,169.87 ftFlood stage 1,167.0 ft15 crests since 2010

The Wisconsin River below Wausau Dam crested above flood stage 15 times among the 15 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2010 to 2026. The highest, 1,169.87 ft on April 18, 2023, was minor flooding, 2.87 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: 1,169.87 ft; April 18, 2023
Flood stage: 1,167.0 ft; Major flooding from 1,174.0 ft
Crests at major: 0; 15 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest: April 14, 2026; 1,169.74 ft, minor flooding
Location: Marathon County; Near Wausau (0.6 mi), Weston (6.3 mi)
Identifiers: NWS WUUW3; 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 below Wausau Dam

Action stage	1,165.0	0	—	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	1,167.0	15	Apr 14, 2026	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage	1,170.0	0	—	Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage	1,174.0	0	—	Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

15 crests from 2010 to 2026. 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

Highest listed crests, Wisconsin River below Wausau Dam

1	Apr 18, 2023	1,169.87	+2.87	Minor	—
2	Apr 14, 2026	1,169.74	+2.74	Minor	79,421
3	Sep 24, 2010	1,169.50	+2.50	Minor	—
4	Mar 29, 2025	1,169.01	+2.01	Minor	71,786
5	May 19, 2017	1,168.77	+1.77	Minor	69,275
6	Mar 17, 2016	1,168.64	+1.64	Minor	67,916
7	Apr 11, 2011	1,168.36	+1.36	Minor	—
8	Apr 30, 2025	1,168.21	+1.21	Minor	63,418
9	Jun 26, 2024	1,167.74	+0.74	Minor	58,503
10	Mar 8, 2026	1,167.53	+0.53	Minor	56,306
11	Apr 11, 2014	1,167.50	+0.50	Minor	22,500
12	Jun 13, 2017	1,167.50	+0.50	Minor	55,993
13	Jun 28, 2025	1,167.44	+0.44	Minor	55,365
14	Dec 15, 2015	1,167.18	+0.18	Minor	21,433
15	Feb 22, 2017	1,167.07	+0.07	Minor	51,495

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 18, 2023: 1,169.87 ft here, minor flooding

PortageWI · Apr 18, 2023 · 18.91 ft · Moderate
Alexander DamWI · Apr 14, 2023 · 1,260.53 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

April 14, 2026: 1,169.74 ft here, minor flooding

PortageWI · Apr 17, 2026 · 20.47 ft · Major
Stevens Point DamWI · Apr 15, 2026 · 1,078.89 ft · Minor
Whiting DamWI · Apr 15, 2026 · 1,054.85 ft · Minor
Biron DamWI · Apr 15, 2026 · 1,018.93 ft · Minor
RothschildWI · Apr 14, 2026 · 25.93 ft · Minor
Wisconsin DellsWI · Apr 16, 2026 · 16.76 ft · Minor
MuscodaWI · Apr 19, 2026 · 9.83 ft · Minor

September 24, 2010: 1,169.50 ft here, minor flooding

RothschildWI · Sep 24, 2010 · 29.46 ft · Major
PortageWI · Sep 28, 2010 · 20.66 ft · Major · its highest
Wisconsin RapidsWI · Sep 25, 2010 · 14.80 ft · Major
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
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

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	WI	11.0	18.26 ft, Aug 31, 1941	2
Muscoda	WI	9.0	11.48 ft, Sep 16, 1938	2
Portage	WI	17.0	20.66 ft, Sep 28, 2010	8
Rainbow Reservoir	WI	6.0	7.59 ft, Sep 5, 1941	0
Rothschild	WI	25.0	32.30 ft, Sep 1, 1941	6
Wisconsin Dells	WI	16.0	20.70 ft, Mar 16, 1973	3
Wisconsin Rapids	WI	12.0	18.80 ft, Jun 15, 1880	2
Alexander Dam	WI	1,259.0	1,260.53 ft, Apr 14, 2023	0
Biron Dam	WI	1,017.0	1,020.73 ft, Sep 25, 2010	0
Dubay Dam	WI	1,098.0	1,103.11 ft, Sep 24, 2010	0
Stevens Point Dam	WI	1,076.0	1,080.64 ft, Sep 24, 2010	0
Wausau Dam this gauge	WI	1,167.0	1,169.87 ft, Apr 18, 2023	0
Whiting Dam	WI	1,053.0	1,055.99 ft, Sep 25, 2010	0
Wisconsin Rapids Dam	WI	991.0	993.27 ft, Sep 25, 2010	0

Other gauges in Marathon County

Flood gauges in Marathon County

Stratford	15.5	24.50 ft, Sep 9, 1938	3
Rib Falls	10.0	16.20 ft, Aug 31, 1938	2
Kelly	9.0	11.45 ft, Aug 21, 1926	0
Rothschild	25.0	32.30 ft, Sep 1, 1941	6

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WUUW3, 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.