Little Bighorn River near Hardin MT water level

Name: Little Bighorn River near Hardin 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, Little Bighorn River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.64ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 72.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Little Bighorn River near Hardin MT reads 2.64 ft, a normal level.

It is 5.36 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.60 ft and 2.89 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: 12.32 ftMay 23, 2011

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 8.00 ft, still 5.36 ft away.

Highest crests on record

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

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.32 ft	May 23, 2011
2	11.78 ft	March 21, 1960
3	11.20 ft	May 19, 1978
4	9.65 ft	March 25, 2019
5	9.33 ft	February 9, 1996
6	9.17 ft	February 18, 1982
7	8.47 ft	June 1, 2018
8	8.31 ft	June 10, 2007
9	8.30 ft	June 27, 1969
10	7.78 ft	June 27, 2023

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 68° 37° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 74° 45° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 78° 48° 0.00 in, 87% Wind 29 mph

24 Sat 54° 41° 0.01 in, 87% Wind 19 mph

25 Sun 47° 38° – Wind 16 mph

26 Mon 54° 37° – Wind 16 mph

27 Tue 42° 37° 0.06 in Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 40 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Bighorn River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Bighorn River at State Line near Wyola MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	67.9 cfs	Very low	−1.6 cfs	50 mi
Little Bighorn River near Crow Agency MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	113 cfs	Low	±0	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Agency Canal Tailwaste near Hardin MTCanal gauge, Agency Canal Tailwaste	2.8 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	0.6 mi
Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near HardinRiver gauge, Bighorn River	1,750 cfs	Very low	−20.0 cfs	8 mi
Bighorn River at bridge, at St. XavierRiver gauge, Bighorn River	1,650 cfs	Very low	−50.0 cfs	21 mi
Bighorn River above Tullock Cr near Bighorn MTRiver gauge, Bighorn River	1,820 cfs	Low	−10.0 cfs	27 mi
Bighorn River and BIA Canal near St. XavierReservoir	3,186.63 ft	Normal		34 mi
Bighorn R below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam near St. XavierRiver gauge, Bighorn R	1,570 cfs	Low	−20.0 cfs	34 mi
Bighorn Lake YellowtailReservoir	3,626.40 ft	Normal		35 mi
Rosebud C at Reservation Bndry near Kirby MTRiver gauge, Rosebud C	3.2 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Bighorn River near Hardin MT?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 5.36 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 Little Bighorn River near Hardin MT today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM MDT, the water level was 2.64 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Bighorn River near Hardin MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Bighorn River near Hardin MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Bighorn River near Hardin MT?

The highest level on record is 12.32 ft on May 23, 2011.

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:06294000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.73569, -107.55747 (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	2.64 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	72.3 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Bighorn River near Hardin MT (usgs:06294000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/little-bighorn-river-near-hardin-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