Missouri River near Culbertson MT water level

Name: Missouri River near Culbertson 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, Missouri River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.43ft

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 7,560 cfs

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

The gauge at Missouri River near Culbertson MT reads 3.43 ft, a normal level.

It is 15.57 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft.

Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.40 ft and 3.43 ft.

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

Compared with the flood stage set by the forecasting service. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 19.66 ftApril 14, 1979

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 19.00 ft, still 15.57 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: Widespread lowland flooding occurs.
21.00 ft: Parking lot of fishing access site at highway 16 bridge begins to flood.
19.00 ft: Low land flooding occurs east of highway 16 bridge.
3.43 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	19.66 ft	April 14, 1979
2	19.14 ft	March 23, 1960
3	18.30 ft	March 18, 1972
4	17.55 ft	December 1, 1967
5	17.52 ft	March 31, 1997
6	17.50 ft	June 16, 2011
7	16.98 ft	March 22, 1976
8	15.26 ft	March 30, 2019
9	15.12 ft	March 26, 1943
10	15.10 ft	March 28, 1951

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

16 Fri 58° 26° – Wind 18 mph

17 Sat 72° 37° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 61° 36° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 66° 43° – Wind 22 mph

20 Tue 69° 46° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 62° 48° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 64° 46° – Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 10h 49m First quarter 34 %

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River near Wolf Point MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.84 ft	Below flood stage		49 mi
Missouri River near WillistonRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.02 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	35 mi
Missouri River above StantonRiver gauge, Missouri River	61.08 ft	Very low	−0.12 ft	154 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Muddy Creek near mouth near Culbertson MTRiver gauge, Big Muddy Creek	3.98 ft	Below flood stage		8 mi
Missouri River North 4 near NohlyRiver gauge, Missouri River North 4	10.77 ft	No reference yet	−0.09 ft	16 mi
Missouri River North 5 at NohlyRiver gauge, Missouri River North 5	63.91 ft	No reference yet	−0.14 ft	19 mi
Missouri River North 5A at BufordRiver gauge, Missouri River North 5A	7.16 ft	No reference yet	+0.13 ft	24 mi
Yellowstone River North 2 near CartwrightRiver gauge, Yellowstone River North 2	62.82 ft	Very low	+0.06 ft	30 mi
Poplar River near Poplar MTRiver gauge, Poplar River	7.19 ft	Below flood stage		33 mi
Yellowstone River near Sidney MTRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	2.64 ft	Below flood stage		34 mi
Big Muddy Creek near Antelope MTRiver gauge, Big Muddy Creek	1.36 ft	Below flood stage		38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Missouri River near Culbertson MT?

The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The river is currently 15.57 ft below it.

How high and low has the Missouri River near Culbertson MT been?

The highest reading on record is 19.66 ft (April 14, 1979).

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.

How often is Missouri River near Culbertson MT updated?

Several times an hour. New readings from U.S. Geological Survey appear here as they arrive. Latest: Oct 16, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT.

What is the water level of Missouri River near Culbertson MT today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT, the water level was 3.43 ft. Normal.

Is the level of Missouri River near Culbertson MT normal?

Below flood stage. Compared with the flood stage set by the forecasting service.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Missouri River near Culbertson MT?

The highest level on record is 19.66 ft on April 14, 1979.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06185500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.12350, -104.47330 (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 `stage`	3.43 ft	2026-10-16 21:00	Provisional
Flow `discharge`	7,560 cfs	2026-10-16 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River near Culbertson MT (usgs:06185500). Accessed October 16, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/missouri-river-near-culbertson-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