Prairie River near Merrill, WI

Lincoln County, Wisconsin · USGS gauge 05394500 · NWS MRLW3 · Wisconsin river levels

Is Prairie River near Merrill, WI flooding right now?

Prairie River near Merrill, WI measured 2.03 ft on 2026-09-11 01:15:00 UTC. That observation was 5.0 ft below its 7 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height

2.03 ft

as of 76 min ago

Streamflow

84 cfs

data refreshed 13 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 7 ft, with major flooding at 11 ft. The highest crest on record was 9.45 ft on Sun, Aug 31, 1941.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 15 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

Category	Stage	Current distance
Action	4.5 ft	2.5 ft below
Minor flood	7 ft	5.0 ft below
Moderate flood	9 ft	7.0 ft below
Major flood	11 ft	9.0 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

Stage	Date
9.45 ft	1941-08-31
7.82 ft	2023-04-14
7.62 ft	2011-04-12
7.6 ft	1926-08-21
7.54 ft	1996-04-20

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Distance	County
Wisconsin River at Merrill, WI	4.3 mi	Lincoln County
Pine River at Center Avenue near Merrill, WI	6.0 mi	Lincoln County
Spirit River at Spirit Falls, WI	21.7 mi	Lincoln County
Big Rib River at Rib Falls, WI	22.0 mi	Marathon County
Eau Claire River at Kelly, WI	22.4 mi	Marathon County

Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast