Wisconsin River at Merrill, WI

Lincoln County, Wisconsin · USGS gauge 05395000 · NWS RRLW3 · Wisconsin River flood status · Wisconsin river levels

Nearby: river levels near Merrill

Is Wisconsin River at Merrill, WI flooding right now?

Wisconsin River at Merrill, WI measured 4.02 ft on 2026-09-11 01:00:00 UTC. That observation was 7.0 ft below its 11 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
4.02 ft
as of 2 hours ago
Streamflow
1,110 cfs
data refreshed 12 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 11 ft, with major flooding at 15 ft. The highest crest on record was 18.26 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

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action10 ft6.0 ft below
Minor flood11 ft7.0 ft below
Moderate flood13.5 ft9.5 ft below
Major flood15 ft11.0 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

StageDate
18.26 ft1941-08-31
17.5 ft1912-07-24
13.85 ft1942-09-18
13.28 ft2023-04-14
13.28 ft2023-04-14

Last 7 days

Past 7 days · 3.89–4.57 ft

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Prairie River near Merrill, WI4.3 miLincoln County
Pine River at Center Avenue near Merrill, WI4.3 miLincoln County
Big Rib River at Rib Falls, WI17.9 miMarathon County
Eau Claire River at Kelly, WI19.0 miMarathon County
Wisconsin River at Rothschild, WI20.2 miMarathon 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