River Levels
Montana river levels
Live streamflow for 39 gauged Montana reaches, highest first. Where a gauge has a long enough record, the reading is placed against its own history for today's date.
51% of gauged Montana rivers are running in their normal range for the date, as of October 8, 2026.
Of 35 gauged reaches with a long enough USGS record, 14 are below normal (2 of them much below), 18 are in the normal range, and 3 are above normal (1 of them much above). Normal means the middle half of that gauge's own history for this calendar date.
To cite: Paddling Hubs analysis of USGS streamflow, paddlinghubs.com/flows/montana. The daily normals behind it are a free download.
| River | Flow | Usually today | Vs normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead Rivernear World Class Kayak Academy | 7,540 cfs8.51 ft | 7,620 cfs | Normal49th percentile · 42 yr record |
| Flathead Rivernear Go Sail Flathead Lake | 7,230 cfs5.46 ft | 7,160 cfs | Normal51st percentile · 88 yr record |
| Missouri Rivernear Missouri River Outfitters | 4,750 cfs2.90 ft | 5,610 cfs | Normal26th percentile · 91 yr record |
| Missouri Rivernear Upper Missouri River Guides | 3,990 cfs2.96 ft | 5,260 cfs | Below normal13th percentile · 70 yr record |
| Flathead Rivernear Wild River Adventures | 3,540 cfs3.77 ft | 3,920 cfs | Below normal24th percentile · 74 yr record |
| Clark Forknear World Class Kayak Academy | 2,690 cfs5.29 ft | 3,060 cfs | Normal33rd percentile · 97 yr record |
| Yellowstone Rivernear Yellowstone R&R River Rentals | 2,410 cfs2.56 ft | 3,830 cfs | Much below normal7th percentile · 97 yr record |
| South Fork Flathead Rivernear Rocky Mountain Glass Kayak Company | 2,100 cfs5.49 ft | 1,950 cfs | Normal54th percentile · 114 yr record |
| Clark Forknear 10,000 Waves Raft & Kayak Adventures | 2,090 cfs1.14 ft | 2,490 cfs | Normal29th percentile · 96 yr record |
| Yellowstone Rivernear Rubber Ducky River Rentals | 1,650 cfs-0.12 ft | 1,990 cfs | Below normal21st percentile · 129 yr record |
| Yellowstone Rivernear Wild West Rafting | 1,180 cfs1.28 ft | 1,510 cfs | Below normal19th percentile · 137 yr record |
| Madison Rivernear Montana Whitewater Rafting & Zipline - Gallatin | 1,160 cfs3.99 ft | Not recorded | No historical record |
| Moore Creeknear Montana Whitewater Rafting & Zipline - Gallatin | 1,010 cfs4.53 ft | 1,050 cfs | No historical record |
| North Fork Flathead Rivernear Glacier Outfitters | 799 cfs1.93 ft | 905 cfs | Normal32nd percentile · 86 yr record |
| Bitterroot Rivernear Love Boat Paddle Co. | 791 cfs3.22 ft | 838 cfs | Normal43rd percentile · 128 yr record |
| Clark Forknear Love Boat Paddle Co. | 753 cfs1.74 ft | 822 cfs | Normal37th percentile · 41 yr record |
| Middle Fork Flathead Rivernear Wild River Adventures | 705 cfs1.97 ft | 704 cfs | Normal50th percentile · 86 yr record |
| Blackfoot Rivernear LB Snow | 580 cfs2.08 ft | 610 cfs | Normal43rd percentile · 128 yr record |
| Marias Rivernear Missouri River Outfitters | 451 cfs1.11 ft | 515 cfs | Below normal24th percentile · 67 yr record |
| Swan Rivernear Old Faithful Watersports | 450 cfs2.27 ft | 461 cfs | Normal46th percentile · 103 yr record |
| South Fork Flathead Rivernear Old Faithful Watersports | 430 cfs4.83 ft | 386 cfs | Normal57th percentile · 62 yr record |
| Stillwater Rivernear Adventure Whitewater | 388 cfs1.52 ft | 538 cfs | Below normal23rd percentile · 90 yr record |
| Teton Rivernear Missouri River Outfitters | 354 cfs2.01 ft | 13 cfs | Much above normal95th percentile · 28 yr record |
| Gallatin Rivernear Northern Lights Rivers Lakes & Oceans | 335 cfs1.34 ft | 432 cfs | Much below normal9th percentile · 137 yr record |
| Clarks Fork Yellowstone Rivernear Yellowstone R&R River Rentals | 309 cfs1.44 ft | 557 cfs | Below normal12th percentile · 105 yr record |
| Rock Creeknear Love Boat Paddle Co. | 235 cfs5.24 ft | 240 cfs | Normal47th percentile · 54 yr record |
| Gallatin Rivernear Montana Whitewater Rafting & Zipline - Gallatin | 224 cfs4.79 ft | 294 cfs | No historical record |
| Lamar Rivernear Yellowstone Raft Company | 127 cfs0.98 ft | 184 cfs | Below normal12th percentile · 103 yr record |
| West Rosebud Creeknear Adventure Whitewater | 110 cfs1.74 ft | 90 cfs | Above normal76th percentile · 20 yr record |
| Gardner Rivernear Yellowstone Raft Company | 104 cfs1.80 ft | 123 cfs | Below normal17th percentile · 88 yr record |
| Shields Rivernear Rubber Ducky River Rentals | 93 cfs0.90 ft | 125 cfs | Below normal23rd percentile · 48 yr record |
| Stillwater Rivernear Paddle Board Outfitters | 92 cfs2.83 ft | 92 cfs | Normal50th percentile · 18 yr record |
| East Gallatin Rivernear Northern Lights Rivers Lakes & Oceans | 84 cfs3.68 ft | 51 cfs | Above normal90th percentile · 11 yr record |
| Swiftcurrent Creeknear Glacier Outfitters | 37 cfs1.64 ft | 59 cfs | Normal25th percentile · 113 yr record |
| Red Lodge Creeknear Adventure Whitewater | 36 cfs1.96 ft | 48 cfs | Normal27th percentile · 89 yr record |
| Hyalite Creeknear Northern Lights Rivers Lakes & Oceans | 28 cfs2.33 ft | 37 cfs | Below normal21st percentile · 131 yr record |
| Willow Creeknear Adventure Whitewater | 26 cfs2.72 ft | 32 cfs | Below normal21st percentile · 88 yr record |
| North Fork Jocko Rivernear LB Snow | 18 cfs1.14 ft | 21 cfs | Normal28th percentile · 43 yr record |
| Boulder Rivernear Rubber Ducky River Rentals | 9.1 cfs2.10 ft | 15 cfs | No historical record |
Streamflow from the U.S. Geological Survey, updated hourly. "Usually today" is the median for this calendar date over the gauge's full record. A gauge tells you how much water is moving, not whether a run is safe: check the class, the hazards, and a current local report before you put on.
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