Marias River near Chester MT water level

Name: Marias River near Chester 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, Marias River, Montana, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.43ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:15 PM MDT (18 min ago)

Flow: 515 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Marias River near Chester MT, where the gauge shows 3.43 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.43 ft – 3.44 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 10.63 ftJune 16, 1964

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.63 ft	June 16, 1964
2	7.98 ft	July 27, 1975
3	7.83 ft	June 24, 1975
4	7.76 ft	June 20, 2002
5	7.47 ft	June 18, 1997
6	7.44 ft	June 14, 2006
7	7.24 ft	July 17, 1995
8	6.88 ft	June 7, 2008
9	6.77 ft	July 2, 1959
10	6.62 ft	July 24, 1970

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 62° 33° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 59° 39° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 66° 37° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 71° 50° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 57° 38° 0.07 in, 76% Wind 25 mph

24 Sat 45° 36° – Wind 22 mph

25 Sun 40° 32° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:52 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 10 hr, 35 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Marias River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Marias River near Shelby MTRiver gauge, Marias River	2.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	38 mi
Marias River near Loma MTRiver gauge, Marias River	497 cfs	Normal	+13.0 cfs	34 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Elwell and TiberLake	2,987.24 ft	High		1.0 mi
Willow Creek near GalataRiver gauge, Willow Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
Teton River at Loma MTRiver gauge, Teton River	2.22 ft	No reference yet	+0.01 ft	37 mi
Missouri River at Fort Benton MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	39 mi
Missouri River at Virgelle MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	3.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	43 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 Marias River near Chester MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:15 PM MDT, the water level was 3.43 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Marias River near Chester MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Marias River near Chester MT normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Marias River near Chester MT?

The highest level on record is 10.63 ft on June 16, 1964.

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:06101500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.30596, -111.08053 (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	3.43 ft	2026-10-20 18:15	Provisional
Flow	515 cfs	2026-10-20 18:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Marias River near Chester MT (usgs:06101500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/marias-river-near-chester-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