Winnebago River at Mason City, IA

Cerro Gordo County, Iowa · USGS gauge 05459500 · NWS MCWI4 · Iowa river levels

Is Winnebago River at Mason City, IA flooding right now?

Winnebago River at Mason City, IA measured 4.83 ft on 2026-09-11 01:30:00 UTC. That observation was 5.2 ft below its 10 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height

4.83 ft

as of 40 min ago

Streamflow

116 cfs

data refreshed 9 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 10 ft, with major flooding at 15.5 ft. The highest crest on record was 18.74 ft on Sun, Jun 8, 2008.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 14 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	8 ft	3.2 ft below
Minor flood	10 ft	5.2 ft below
Moderate flood	14.5 ft	9.7 ft below
Major flood	15.5 ft	10.7 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
18.74 ft	2008-06-08
15.7 ft	1933-03-30
14.8 ft	1961-03-27
14.67 ft	2004-05-22
14.27 ft	1965-04-11

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Distance	County
Spring Creek near Mason City, IA	3.5 mi	Cerro Gordo County
Willow Creek near Mason City, IA	4.0 mi	Cerro Gordo County
Shell Rock River near Rockford, IA	17.4 mi	Floyd County
Cedar River at Osage, IA	19.0 mi	Mitchell County
Deer Creek near Carpenter, IA	20.2 mi	Mitchell 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