Peoples Creek near Hays MT water level

Name: Peoples Creek near Hays 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, Peoples Creek, Montana, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.71ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at Peoples Creek near Hays MT: the gauge reads 2.71 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 2.70 ft – 2.73 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 15.03 ftJune 8, 1972

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

What happens at each level

19.00 ft: Water would be at bottom of Hwy 66 bridge.
14.00 ft: Water starting to encroach on buildings 2 straight miles downstream from gaging station.
12.00 ft: Water starting to encroach on grain storage bins approximately 1 straight mile upstream from gaging station, and on corrals 2 straight miles downstream from gaging station.
10.00 ft: Water starting to encroach on buildings 1/2 mile west of Rte 8 bridge and may start to encroach on Rte 8 near bridge.
7.00 ft: Water begins to flow over Hwy 2, 20 straight miles to the northeast.
2.71 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.03 ft	June 8, 1972
2	13.80 ft	February 14, 1971
3	10.75 ft	June 3, 2013
4	10.40 ft	February 13, 2011
5	9.83 ft	March 7, 1979
6	9.17 ft	March 12, 1996
7	9.02 ft	February 25, 1986
8	8.86 ft	March 1, 1994
9	8.83 ft	March 21, 1978
10	8.70 ft	March 3, 1993

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 60° 40° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 70° 38° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 72° 47° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 60° 36° 0.12 in, 84% Wind 31 mph

24 Sat 44° 35° – Wind 31 mph

25 Sun 35° 24° 0.26 in, 21% Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 36° 22° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 32 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on Peoples Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Peoples Creek near ClevelandRiver gauge, Peoples Creek	3.77 ft	No reference yet	±0	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lodge Pole Creek at Lodge PoleRiver gauge, Lodge Pole Creek	1.75 ft	No reference yet	±0	16 mi
Little Peoples Creek near HaysRiver gauge, Little Peoples Creek	1.7 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	18 mi
Milk River near Harlem MTRiver gauge, Milk River	2.17 ft	Below flood stage	±0	18 mi
Milk River at Merrill Rd, near HarlemRiver gauge, Milk River	6.83 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	22 mi
Milk River near Dodson MTRiver gauge, Milk River	4.20 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
Battle Creek near Chinook MTRiver gauge, Battle Creek	1.30 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	38 mi
Clear Creek near Chinook MTRiver gauge, Clear Creek	3.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	40 mi
Milk River at Malta MTRiver gauge, Milk River	1.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	40 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 Peoples Creek near Hays MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM MDT, the water level was 2.71 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Peoples Creek near Hays MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Peoples Creek near Hays MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Peoples Creek near Hays MT?

The highest level on record is 15.03 ft on June 8, 1972.

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:06154400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.22373, -108.71405 (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	2.71 ft	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Peoples Creek near Hays MT (usgs:06154400). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/peoples-creek-near-hays-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