Tongue River at Miles City water level

Name: Tongue River at Miles City 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, Tongue River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.68ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 116 cfs
Water temperature: 51 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Tongue River at Miles City reads 1.68 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.32 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.67 ft and 1.72 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 51 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 13.99 ftMay 21, 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 10.00 ft, still 8.32 ft away.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: Flooding of low lands south and west of Miles City.
1.68 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	13.99 ft	May 21, 2011
2	13.27 ft	February 15, 1971
3	12.10 ft	March 4, 1994
4	11.80 ft	March 6, 1949
5	11.33 ft	June 15, 1962
6	10.97 ft	June 8, 2007
7	10.76 ft	April 4, 1965
8	10.59 ft	March 21, 2019
9	10.55 ft	March 18, 1969
10	10.40 ft	May 7, 1975

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 34° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 72° 36° – Wind 18 mph

22 Thu 79° 49° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 80° 49° 0.01 in, 64% Wind 24 mph

24 Sat 53° 40° 0.02 in, 64% Wind 25 mph

25 Sun 48° 35° 0.01 in Wind 19 mph

26 Mon 37° 31° 0.02 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 38 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Tongue River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tongue River at State Line near Decker MTRiver gauge, Tongue River	115 cfs	Very low	−3.0 cfs	106 mi
Tongue River at Tongue R Dam near Decker MTRiver gauge, Tongue River	98.3 cfs	Low	±0	97 mi
Tongue River at AshlandRiver gauge, Tongue River	99.1 cfs	Very low	+1.3 cfs	58 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yellowstone River at Miles CityRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	2.6 mi
Powder River near Locate MTRiver gauge, Powder River	32.1 cfs	Very low	+2.2 cfs	26 mi
Yellowstone River at Forsyth MTRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	1.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	41 mi
Tongue R below Brandenberg bridge near Ashland MTRiver gauge, Tongue R	101 cfs	Very low	−32.0 cfs	42 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Tongue River at Miles City?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.32 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 Tongue River at Miles City today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM MDT, the water level was 1.68 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tongue River at Miles City rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Tongue River at Miles City normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Tongue River at Miles City?

The highest level on record is 13.99 ft on May 21, 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:06308500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.38459, -105.84552 (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	1.68 ft	2026-10-21 07:00	Provisional
Flow	116 cfs	2026-10-21 07:00	Provisional
Water temperature	51 °F	2026-10-21 07:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tongue River at Miles City (usgs:06308500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/tongue-river-at-miles-city

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