Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT water level

Name: Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor 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, Bitterroot River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.51ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 392 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.77 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 12:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:55 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT reads 4.51 ft, a normal level.

It is 6.99 ft below the flood stage of 11.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.77 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 12:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.50 ft and 4.60 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.40 ftJune 12, 2022
Forecast peak: 4.77 ftSaturday, October 24 at 12:00 AM

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 11.50 ft, still 6.99 ft away.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: County roads will experience flooding from Hamilton to Florence.
11.50 ft: Minor flooding to low lying areas adjacent to the river from Hamilton to Florence may occur.
4.51 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	11.40 ft	June 12, 2022
2	10.93 ft	June 5, 2021
3	10.82 ft	May 31, 2003
4	10.67 ft	May 18, 1997
5	10.67 ft	June 8, 2011
6	10.63 ft	June 1, 2020
7	10.44 ft	May 10, 2018
8	10.24 ft	May 17, 2019
9	10.07 ft	June 9, 1996
10	10.00 ft	May 24, 2014

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 62° 34° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 69° 39° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 46° 0.03 in, 79% Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 55° 44° 0.02 in, 90% Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 57° 36° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 51° 33° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 47° 29° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:01 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 10 hr, 41 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Bitterroot River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bitterroot River near Darby MTRiver gauge, Bitterroot River	1.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	33 mi
Bitterroot River near Missoula MTRiver gauge, Bitterroot River	3.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Como and ComoLake	4,205.52 ft	High		27 mi
Rock Creek near Clinton MTRiver gauge, Rock Creek	5.29 ft	Below flood stage	±0	28 mi
Clark Fork below Missoula MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	1.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	29 mi
Clark Fork at Turah Bridge near Bonner MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	835 cfs	Normal	−13.0 cfs	30 mi
Clark Fork above Missoula MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	2.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	31 mi
Middle Fork Rock Cr near Philipsburg MTRiver gauge, Middle Fork Rock Cr	54.2 cfs	High	−1.8 cfs	35 mi
Blackfoot River near Bonner MTRiver gauge, Blackfoot River	2.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	36 mi
Flint Creek near Southern Cross MTRiver gauge, Flint Creek	10.4 cfs	Low	−0.7 cfs	42 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT?

The official flood stage is 11.50 ft. The level is currently 6.99 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 Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM MDT, the water level was 4.51 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT?

The highest level on record is 11.40 ft on June 12, 2022.

Is Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.77 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 12:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12350250 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.44320, -114.12377 (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	4.51 ft	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional
Flow	392 cfs	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor MT (usgs:12350250). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/bitterroot-river-at-bell-crossing-near-victor-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