Kinnickinnic River at Milwaukee, WI
River level and flood forecast · Milwaukee County
The river is 9.9 ft below flood stage (16 ft).
Flow: 6 cubic feet per second (USGS).
River camera
Watch the time-lapse
Camera by the U.S. Geological Survey. Most take a picture every hour, some every few minutes; many stop at night.
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 Kinnickinnic River at Milwaukee to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 18 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 17 ft |
| Flood stage | 16 ft |
| Action stage | 14 ft |
| Record crest (August 10, 2025) | 17.19 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 17 ftWater over the 13th street bridge, flooding nearby intersections and approaching or impacting homes along the river from the area in the Lincoln Village and Polonia neighborhoods from 16th to 6th St. Water near or up to the bottom of bridges.
- 16 ftWater touches 13th St bridge and may flood nearby intersections. River is outside of the concrete lined channel and up to road guardrails in the Lincoln Village and Polonia neighborhoods from 16th to 6th St. Water impacts roads and yards of homes along the river. Water approaching the bottom of bridges.
- 15 ftRiver is 1 to 2 feet above the top of the concrete lined channel and may impact roads and yards of homes along the river in the Lincoln Village and Polonia neighborhoods from 16th to 6th St.
- 14 ftWater is about 1 foot over the top of the concrete lined channel of the Kinnickinnic River from 16th to 6th St.
- 13 ftWater is near the top of the concrete lined channel of the Kinnickinnic River from 16th to 6th st.
- 12 ftParts of Jackson Parkway flooded. Jackson Park floods.
- 11 ftFlooding in Jackson Park and surrounding low land areas of the Kinnickinnic Parkway parkland.
Highest crests on record
- 17.19 ft — August 10, 2025
- 14.41 ft — August 6, 1986
- 13.3 ft — June 7, 2008
- 13.27 ft — August 2, 2020
- 13.22 ft — July 9, 2006
Recent crests: 17.19 ft (August 10, 2025) · 11.78 ft (May 28, 2024) · 11.92 ft (February 27, 2023) · 12.42 ft (September 12, 2022) · 11.61 ft (August 8, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (KINW3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.