Rock River at Watertown, WI

Jefferson County, Wisconsin · USGS gauge 05425500 · NWS WATW3 · Rock River flood status · Wisconsin river levels

Is Rock River at Watertown, WI flooding right now?

Rock River at Watertown, WI measured 2.13 ft on 2026-09-11 02:00:00 UTC. That observation was 3.4 ft below its 5.5 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
2.13 ft
as of 41 min ago
Streamflow
486 cfs
data refreshed 9 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 5.5 ft, with major flooding at 6.5 ft. The highest crest on record was 7.81 ft on Fri, Jun 13, 2008.

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

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action4 ft1.9 ft below
Minor flood5.5 ft3.4 ft below
Moderate flood6 ft3.9 ft below
Major flood6.5 ft4.4 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

StageDate
7.81 ft2008-06-13
6.96 ft1997-01-17
6.32 ft1959-04-04
6.27 ft2013-04-18
6.19 ft1979-03-31

Last 7 days

Past 7 days · 1.53–2.14 ft

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Crawfish River at Milford, WI8.7 miJefferson County
Rock River near Lebanon, WI9.2 miDodge County
Dead Creek near Hustisford, WI12.4 miDodge County
Rock River at Hustisford, WI12.6 miDodge County
Rock River at Tweedy St. at Hustisford, WI12.7 miDodge 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