Missouri River near Culbertson MT water level

Name: Missouri River near Culbertson MT water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Missouri River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.37ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 7,440 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Missouri River near Culbertson MT reads 3.37 ft, a normal level.

It is 15.63 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.36 ft and 3.43 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 19.66 ftApril 14, 1979

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 19.00 ft, still 15.63 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: Widespread lowland flooding occurs.
21.00 ft: Parking lot of fishing access site at highway 16 bridge begins to flood.
19.00 ft: Low land flooding occurs east of highway 16 bridge.
3.37 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.66 ft	April 14, 1979
2	19.14 ft	March 23, 1960
3	18.30 ft	March 18, 1972
4	17.55 ft	December 1, 1967
5	17.52 ft	March 31, 1997
6	17.50 ft	June 16, 2011
7	16.98 ft	March 22, 1976
8	15.26 ft	March 30, 2019
9	15.12 ft	March 26, 1943
10	15.10 ft	March 28, 1951

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 31° – Wind 21 mph

20 Tue 66° 39° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 68° 34° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 77° 52° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 77° 59° – Wind 28 mph

24 Sat 54° 40° 0.36 in, 47% Wind 30 mph

25 Sun 42° 33° – Wind 24 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 39 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River near Wolf Point MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	49 mi
Missouri River near WillistonRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.19 ft	Normal	+0.10 ft	35 mi
Missouri River above StantonRiver gauge, Missouri River	61.18 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	154 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Muddy Creek near mouth near Culbertson MTRiver gauge, Big Muddy Creek	3.85 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	8 mi
Missouri River North 4 near NohlyRiver gauge, Missouri River North 4	10.73 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	16 mi
Missouri River North 5 at NohlyRiver gauge, Missouri River North 5	63.88 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	19 mi
Missouri River North 5A at BufordRiver gauge, Missouri River North 5A	7.28 ft	Normal	+0.07 ft	24 mi
Yellowstone River North 1 near FairviewRiver gauge, Yellowstone River North 1	8.79 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	30 mi
Yellowstone River North 2 near CartwrightRiver gauge, Yellowstone River North 2	62.89 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	30 mi
Poplar River near Poplar MTRiver gauge, Poplar River	7.21 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	33 mi
Yellowstone River near Sidney MTRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	2.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Missouri River near Culbertson MT?

The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The level is currently 15.63 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Missouri River near Culbertson MT today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM MDT, the water level was 3.37 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River near Culbertson MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Missouri River near Culbertson MT normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Missouri River near Culbertson MT?

The highest level on record is 19.66 ft on April 14, 1979.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06185500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.12350, -104.47330 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	3.37 ft	2026-10-19 22:00	Provisional
Flow	7,440 cfs	2026-10-19 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River near Culbertson MT (usgs:06185500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/missouri-river-near-culbertson-mt

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer