Lightning Creek at Clark Fork water level

Name: Lightning Creek at Clark Fork 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, Lightning Creek, Idaho, United States

Directions

Lower than ever recorded here

Water level

7.83ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:45 AM PDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 1.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Lightning Creek at Clark Fork is running at a record low at 7.83 ft.

No reading on record has been lower: the old record low was 8.00 ft, from September 14, 2001.

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 7.83 ft and 7.93 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with the highest and lowest levels the agency has recorded at this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.34 ftDecember 9, 2015
Lowest on record: 8.00 ftSeptember 14, 2001
Lowest on record: 0.17 ft below the lowest level on record

Floating and fishing near Lightning Creek at Clark Fork

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

What happens at each level

15.40 ft: Water still contained in levees in the city of Clark Fork. Minor flooding upstream of the city.
7.83 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.34 ft	December 9, 2015
2	15.41 ft	December 6, 2023
3	14.64 ft	June 14, 2022
4	14.53 ft	February 7, 2015
5	14.46 ft	March 16, 2017
6	14.33 ft	May 2, 2023
7	14.30 ft	May 18, 2008
8	14.30 ft	May 31, 2020
9	14.19 ft	December 1, 2021
10	14.18 ft	November 23, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 60° 42° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 65° 47° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 70° 47° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 68° 48° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 59° 42° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 60° 38° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 05:52 PM Daylight 10 hr, 43 min First quarter 49%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Clark Fork River below Cabinet Gorge DamRiver gauge, Clark Fork River	5,890 cfs	Low	+160 cfs	7 mi
Yaak River near Troy MTRiver gauge, Yaak River	2.89 ft	Below flood stage	±0	30 mi
Nf Coeur D Alene River above Shoshone Creek near PrichardRiver gauge, Nf Coeur D Alene River	70.9 cfs	Very low	±0	32 mi
Kootenai River at LeoniaRiver gauge, Kootenai River	10.33 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	33 mi
Priest River near Priest RiverRiver gauge, Priest River	1,330 cfs	Normal	±0	34 mi
Libby Wetland Site below Schrieber Lake near LibbyRiver gauge, Libby Wetland Site	0.6 cfs	Normal	±0	36 mi
Kootenai River Bel Moyie River near Bonners FerryRiver gauge, Kootenai River Bel Moyie River	4,980 cfs	Normal	−30.0 cfs	38 mi
Kootenai River at Bonners FerryRiver gauge, Kootenai River	45.26 ft	Low	±0	38 mi

Questions and answers

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 Lightning Creek at Clark Fork today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:45 AM PDT, the water level was 7.83 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lightning Creek at Clark Fork rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lightning Creek at Clark Fork normal?

Lower than ever recorded here. Compared with the highest and lowest levels the agency has recorded at this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lightning Creek at Clark Fork?

The highest level on record is 16.34 ft on December 9, 2015. The lowest is 8.00 ft on September 14, 2001.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12392155 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.15167, -116.18167 (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	7.83 ft	2026-10-18 10:45	Provisional
Flow	1.2 cfs	2026-10-18 10:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lightning Creek at Clark Fork (usgs:12392155). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/lightning-creek-at-clark-fork

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