Rivers in Wisconsin

Bad River (WI) near Odanah

Ashland County, WisconsinNWS ODAW3USGS 04027000Duluth office

Below flood stage
2.19ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 22, 3:45 AM CDT

Flood stage
16.00 ft
Record crest
27.28 ft2016

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood20.00 ft
Moderate flood18.00 ft
Minor flood16.00 ft
Action10.10 ft
  1. 26.50 ftElm Hoist Road bridge under water.
  2. 18.00 ftWater approaches the level of Highway 2 near Odanah
  3. 15.00 ftSeveral Roads including Miller Road, Government Road and State Road may be flooded at this stage. Flooding of these areas is also dependent on the volume of water flowing from the White River which comes in below this gauge.
  4. 13.50 ftAt this level there is no threat to property. It is common at this level for water to flood the main boat landing in Old Odanah and adjacent to the Powwow grounds in the Maple sugar bush.
  5. 13.00 ftFlooding occurred in Old Odanah in 1996 and 1997 when the gage read between 13 and 15 feet. However, there was water released from the dam at Ashland on the White River. The river runs into the Bad River just south/upstream of Odanah.
  6. 10.10 ftBankfull stage. At this level, water will be at the top of its banks and any futher rises will result in water moving into the flood plain.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.

Crest history

74 crests on NOAA’s list since 1946.

#DateStage
1July 12, 201627.28 ft
2June 24, 194622.20 ft
3April 24, 196021.70 ft
4July 3, 199218.41 ft
5July 4, 194917.30 ft
6May 1, 195416.05 ft
7July 1, 195315.50 ft
8April 13, 202315.28 ft
9June 18, 201815.26 ft
10April 23, 201915.25 ft
11April 20, 199614.75 ft
12April 1, 198614.66 ft
13May 21, 201314.60 ft
14April 2, 196714.50 ft
15April 29, 195114.30 ft
16May 6, 195014.00 ft
17April 19, 195213.90 ft
18April 6, 199713.73 ft
19May 18, 201713.28 ft
20April 12, 197113.08 ft
21March 16, 199013.06 ft
22March 30, 199813.00 ft
23May 9, 201412.65 ft
24April 17, 198212.20 ft
25March 30, 197612.12 ft

Most recent crests

  • April 10, 2024: 6.40 ft
  • April 13, 2023: 15.28 ft
  • April 14, 2022: 10.33 ft
  • March 25, 2021: 9.01 ft
  • March 30, 2020: 11.08 ft
  • April 23, 2019: 15.25 ft
  • June 18, 2018: 15.26 ft
  • May 18, 2017: 13.28 ft
  • July 12, 2016: 27.28 ft
  • March 17, 2015: 7.13 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the North Central River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Gauge reading may be affected by ice.

Sources

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.