Firehole River near West Yellowstone MT water level

Name: Firehole River near West Yellowstone 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, Firehole River, Wyoming, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.93ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 200 cfs
Water temperature: 62 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at Firehole River near West Yellowstone MT: the gauge reads 2.93 ft, far 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 2.91 ft – 2.94 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 62 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 6.10 ftMay 18, 1996

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

6.10 ft: RECORD STAGE AND FLOW--2,050 CFS (5/18/1996).
4.50 ft: BANMKFULL STAGE.
2.93 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	6.10 ft	May 18, 1996
2	5.48 ft	May 31, 1986
3	5.40 ft	June 8, 2011
4	5.05 ft	May 21, 1993
5	4.96 ft	June 6, 1995
6	4.95 ft	May 25, 1991
7	4.88 ft	May 28, 2014
8	4.82 ft	June 5, 2010
9	4.75 ft	May 20, 2005
10	4.64 ft	May 20, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 59° 24° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 58° 34° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 58° 35° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 62° 41° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 47° 29° 0.84 in, 97% Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 40° 22° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 47° 26° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Firehole River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Firehole River at Old Faithful, YNPRiver gauge, Firehole River	37.7 cfs	Very low	±0	11 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gibbon River at Madison Jct, YNPRiver gauge, Gibbon River	68.5 cfs	Very low	−1.5 cfs	1.4 mi
Madison River near West YellowstoneRiver gauge, Madison River	303 cfs	Very low	+7.0 cfs	10 mi
Tantalus Creek at Norris Junction, YNPRiver gauge, Tantalus Creek	3.6 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	11 mi
Henrys Fork near LakeRiver gauge, Henrys Fork	0.3 cfs	Very low	±0	24 mi
Yellowstone River at Yellowstone Lake Outlet YNPRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	2.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Henrys Lake and Henrys LakeLake	12.89 ft	Low		24 mi
Boiling River at Mammoth,YNPRiver gauge, Boiling River	20.5 cfs	Low	±0	27 mi
Gardner River near Mammoth, YNPRiver gauge, Gardner River	109 cfs	Low	±0	27 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 Firehole River near West Yellowstone MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT, the water level was 2.93 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Firehole River near West Yellowstone MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Firehole River near West Yellowstone MT normal?

Very 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 Firehole River near West Yellowstone MT?

The highest level on record is 6.10 ft on May 18, 1996.

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:06036905 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.62018, -110.86350 (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	2.93 ft	2026-10-20 21:00	Provisional
Flow	200 cfs	2026-10-20 21:00	Provisional
Water temperature	62 °F	2026-10-20 21:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Firehole River near West Yellowstone MT (usgs:06036905). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wyoming/firehole-river-near-west-yellowstone-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