Big Hole River near Melrose MT water level

Name: Big Hole River near Melrose 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, Big Hole River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.82ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:15 AM MDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 446 cfs
Water temperature: 43 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Big Hole River near Melrose MT is at 1.82 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.18 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.82 ft and 1.88 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 43 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 8.09 ftJune 9, 1997

Floating and fishing near Big Hole River near Melrose MT

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 6.00 ft, 4.18 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

8.00 ft: The town of Melrose begins to flood on the south end of town.
7.00 ft: Agricultural land floods and irrigation systems need to be protected.
6.50 ft: At 6.5 Feet - May 2018 - Water continues to impact agriculutral land along the river and equipment near the river needs to be protected. A couple of homes in the Meriweather Subdivison impacted with basement flooding. Sections of Burma Road impacted.
6.40 ft: 6.4 Feet June 19, 2020. River was above flood stage. Cause - Snowmelt/runoff from rainfall about 2 days prior. Bigh Hole River upstream at BHD rose to about 6.6 feet. Downstream at Glen, it rose to about 6.5 feet.
6.20 ft: At 6.2 Feet on the Big Hole River...water starts to come out of its bank and affect a home/driveway near Glen. Look at staff gauge GNLM8...that should be around 6.5 feet on the Big Hole River near Glen for flooding around Glen. (June 2017)
1.82 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	8.09 ft	June 9, 1997
2	8.04 ft	June 10, 1972
3	7.88 ft	June 9, 1964
4	7.76 ft	June 3, 1948
5	7.72 ft	May 27, 1942
6	7.54 ft	June 21, 1975
7	7.46 ft	June 10, 2011
8	7.45 ft	May 10, 1947
9	7.36 ft	June 10, 1996
10	7.35 ft	June 7, 1995

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 67° 35° – Wind 18 mph

20 Tue 66° 43° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 66° 39° – Wind 17 mph

22 Thu 67° 46° 0.02 in, 35% Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 56° 35° 0.04 in, 90% Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 57° 29° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 58° 34° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:54 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Big Hole River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Hole River below Big Lake Cr at Wisdom MTRiver gauge, Big Hole River	61.9 cfs	Normal	−1.6 cfs	37 mi
Big Hole River below Mudd Cr near Wisdom MTRiver gauge, Big Hole River	167 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	35 mi
Big Hole River at Maiden Rock near Divide MTRiver gauge, Big Hole River	413 cfs	Normal	−13.0 cfs	12 mi
Big Hole River near Glen MTRiver gauge, Big Hole River	470 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Beaverhead River near Twin Bridges MTRiver gauge, Beaverhead River	4.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Big Hole R below Hamilton Ditch near Twin BridgesRiver gauge, Big Hole R	386 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	17 mi
Ruby River near Twin Bridges MTRiver gauge, Ruby River	158 cfs	Low	±0	18 mi
Jefferson River near Twin BridgesRiver gauge, Jefferson River	3.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	19 mi
Beaverhead River at Dillon MTRiver gauge, Beaverhead River	82.4 cfs	Very low	−3.4 cfs	21 mi
Beaverhead River at Barretts MTRiver gauge, Beaverhead River	92.6 cfs	Very low	−2.0 cfs	28 mi
Blacktail Creek above Grove Gulch, at ButteRiver gauge, Blacktail Creek	4.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	33 mi
Silver Bow Cr below Blacktail Cr, at ButteRiver gauge, Silver Bow Cr	20.8 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	33 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Big Hole River near Melrose MT?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 4.18 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 Big Hole River near Melrose MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:15 AM MDT, the water level was 1.82 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Hole River near Melrose MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Hole River near Melrose MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Hole River near Melrose MT?

The highest level on record is 8.09 ft on June 9, 1997.

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:06025500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.52658, -112.70172 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	1.82 ft	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional
Flow	446 cfs	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional
Water temperature	43 °F	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Hole River near Melrose MT (usgs:06025500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/big-hole-river-near-melrose-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