N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT water level

Name: N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls 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, N F Flathead River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.76ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:45 AM MDT (39 min ago)

Flow: 706 cfs
Water temperature: 44 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.75 ft by Monday, October 26 at 06:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 02:54 PM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT reads 1.76 ft, a normal level.

It is 11.24 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.75 ft by Monday, October 26 at 06:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.76 ft and 1.81 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 44 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 18.60 ftJune 9, 1964
Forecast peak: 1.78 ftThursday, October 22 at 06:00 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 13.00 ft, still 11.24 ft away.

Highest crests on record

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

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.60 ft	June 9, 1964
2	17.03 ft	June 7, 1995
3	12.58 ft	June 18, 1974
4	12.25 ft	May 21, 1954
5	12.00 ft	June 2, 1972
6	11.98 ft	June 21, 1975
7	11.90 ft	May 18, 1997
8	10.55 ft	June 1, 2020
9	10.21 ft	May 9, 2018
10	10.16 ft	June 12, 2022

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 65° 43° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 71° 50° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 52° 37° 0.07 in, 78% Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 50° 33° 0.22 in, 31% Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 32° 27° 0.81 in, 23% Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 33° 20° 0.24 in Wind 7 mph

27 Tue 35° 15° 0.13 in, 23% Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:06 AM Sunset 06:37 PM Daylight 10 hr, 31 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
M F Flathead River near West Glacier MTRiver gauge, M F Flathead River	1.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	5.3 mi
Flathead River at Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, Flathead River	3.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	10 mi
S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, S F Flathead River	2,390 cfs	Normal	±0	10 mi
Hungry Horse ReservoirReservoir	3,541.38 ft	Normal		12 mi
Whitefish River near Kalispell MTRiver gauge, Whitefish River	1.44 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Stillwater River at Lawrence Park, at KalispellRiver gauge, Stillwater River	2.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Swiftcurrent Creek at Many Glacier MTRiver gauge, Swiftcurrent Creek	28.1 cfs	Low	±0	30 mi
Swan River near BigforkRiver gauge, Swan River	2.25 ft	Below flood stage	±0	33 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 11.24 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 N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:45 AM MDT, the water level was 1.76 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT?

The highest level on record is 18.60 ft on June 9, 1964.

Is N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.75 ft by Monday, October 26 at 06:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12355500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.49580, -114.12676 (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	1.76 ft	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional
Flow	706 cfs	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional
Water temperature	44 °F	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT (usgs:12355500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/n-f-flathead-river-near-columbia-falls-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