Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier water level

Name: Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier 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, Bighorn River, Montana, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

6.03ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1,710 cfs
Water temperature: 54 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier is running far below normal at 6.03 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 5.98 ft and 6.10 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 54 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 12.32 ftJune 25, 2023

Floating and fishing near Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.32 ft	June 25, 2023
2	11.27 ft	June 10, 2015
3	11.23 ft	June 22, 2018
4	11.10 ft	May 23, 2017
5	10.28 ft	June 23, 2019
6	9.34 ft	May 22, 2016
7	9.25 ft	July 12, 2014
8	8.85 ft	June 19, 2022
9	8.72 ft	June 13, 2024
10	8.15 ft	July 5, 2020

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:18 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Bighorn River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bighorn River at BasinRiver gauge, Bighorn River	3.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	76 mi
Bighorn River at KaneRiver gauge, Bighorn River	828 cfs	Very low	−48.0 cfs	53 mi
Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near HardinRiver gauge, Bighorn River	1,780 cfs	Low	+70.0 cfs	13 mi
Bighorn River above Tullock Cr near Bighorn MTRiver gauge, Bighorn River	1,830 cfs	Low	+10.0 cfs	48 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bighorn River and BIA Canal near St. XavierReservoir	3,187.18 ft	Normal		13 mi
Bighorn R below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam near St. XavierRiver gauge, Bighorn R	1,590 cfs	Low	±0	13 mi
Bighorn Lake YellowtailReservoir	3,626.30 ft	Normal		15 mi
Little Bighorn River near Crow Agency MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	113 cfs	Normal	+2.0 cfs	16 mi
Agency Canal Tailwaste near Hardin MTCanal gauge, Agency Canal Tailwaste	3.7 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	21 mi
Little Bighorn River near Hardin MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	21 mi
Little Bighorn River at State Line near Wyola MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	71.2 cfs	Low	+1.7 cfs	32 mi
Rosebud C at Reservation Bndry near Kirby MTRiver gauge, Rosebud C	4.5 cfs	Normal	+0.3 cfs	37 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 Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 PM MDT, the water level was 6.03 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier 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 Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier?

The highest level on record is 12.32 ft on June 25, 2023.

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:06287800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.46075, -107.74933 (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	6.03 ft	2026-10-20 05:30	Provisional
Flow	1,710 cfs	2026-10-20 05:30	Provisional
Water temperature	54 °F	2026-10-20 05:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bighorn River at bridge, at St. Xavier (usgs:06287800). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/bighorn-river-at-bridge-at-st-xavier

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