Rock River at Watertown, WI
River level and flood forecast · Jefferson County
The river is 3.0 ft below flood stage (5.5 ft).
Flow: 777 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 Rock River at Watertown to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 6.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 6 ft |
| Flood stage | 5.5 ft |
| Action stage | 4 ft |
| Record crest (June 13, 2008) | 7.81 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 7 ftFloodwaters affect some streets in Watertown. Riverside Park is flooded. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside park along Highway 16 and Kanow Park are flooded. Rock River Road near Highway 16 is flooded. Water impacts structures at end of Riverview Rd. Water may impact Riverdale Circle.
- 6.5 ftFloodwaters affect some streets in Watertown. Water is in Riverside Park. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside park along Highway 16 and Kanow Park is flooded. Rock River Road near Highway 16 is flooded. Water approaches structures at end of Riverview Rd. Water impacts the end of Willow St.
- 6 ftWater nears some streets in Watertown. Water is in Riverside Park in Watertown. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside park on Highway 16, and Kanow Park is flooded. Rock River Road near Highway 16 is flooded.
- 5.5 ftThere is widespread lowland flooding in rural areas around Watertown. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside park along Highway 16 and Kanow Park are flooded and Rock River Road is impacted.
- 5 ftThere is minor lowland flooding in rural areas around Watertown. About 6 miles upstream near Ixonia, Wayside Park along Hwy 16 ais flooded, water impacts Rock River Road and Kanow Park near Highway 16 is flooded.
- 4 ftThere is minor lowland flooding in rural areas around Watertown. Flood waters start to affect Wayside park on Highway 16 as well as Kanow Park on Rock River Road about 6 miles upstream near Ixonia.
Highest crests on record
- 7.81 ft — June 13, 2008
- 6.96 ft — January 17, 1997
- 6.32 ft — April 4, 1959
- 6.27 ft — April 18, 2013
- 6.19 ft — March 31, 1979
Recent crests: 5.5 ft (April 20, 2026) · 6 ft (April 15, 2026) · 5.62 ft (October 11, 2019) · 5.42 ft (March 14, 2019) · 6.17 ft (September 9, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (WATW3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.