Bad River (WI) near Odanah, WI
River level and flood forecast · Ashland County
The river is 13.8 ft below flood stage (16 ft).
Flow: 81 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Bad River (WI) near Odanah to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 20 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 18 ft |
| Flood stage | 16 ft |
| Action stage | 10.1 ft |
| Record crest (July 12, 2016) | 27.28 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 26.5 ftElm Hoist Road bridge under water.
- 18 ftWater approaches the level of Highway 2 near Odanah
- 15 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.
- 13.5 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.
- 13 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.
- 10.1 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.
Highest crests on record
- 27.28 ft — July 12, 2016
- 22.2 ft — June 24, 1946
- 21.7 ft — April 24, 1960
- 18.41 ft — July 3, 1992
- 17.3 ft — July 4, 1949
Recent crests: 6.4 ft (April 10, 2024) · 15.28 ft (April 13, 2023) · 10.33 ft (April 14, 2022) · 9.01 ft (March 25, 2021) · 11.08 ft (March 30, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (ODAW3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.