Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin water level

Name: Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin 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 late October

Water level

9.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:30 AM MDT (50 min ago)

Flow: 1,740 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin is running far below normal at 9.22 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 9.19 ft and 9.30 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: 16.36 ftJune 25, 2023

Floating and fishing near Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin

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	16.36 ft	June 25, 2023
2	15.59 ft	May 27, 2019
3	15.29 ft	June 21, 2018
4	14.84 ft	June 12, 2015
5	14.74 ft	May 23, 2017
6	12.92 ft	May 8, 2014
7	12.71 ft	May 25, 2016
8	12.65 ft	June 19, 2022
9	12.43 ft	April 10, 2012
10	12.39 ft	May 25, 2024

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 69° 37° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 74° 44° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 79° 48° – Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 54° 43° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 48° 37° – Wind 15 mph

26 Mon 55° 37° – Wind 13 mph

27 Tue 42° 37° 0.02 in Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 40 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Bighorn River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bighorn River at BasinRiver gauge, Bighorn River	3.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	89 mi
Bighorn River at KaneRiver gauge, Bighorn River	809 cfs	Very low	−19.0 cfs	66 mi
Bighorn River at bridge, at St. XavierRiver gauge, Bighorn River	1,650 cfs	Very low	−50.0 cfs	13 mi
Bighorn River above Tullock Cr near Bighorn MTRiver gauge, Bighorn River	1,820 cfs	Low	−30.0 cfs	34 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Agency Canal Tailwaste near Hardin MTCanal gauge, Agency Canal Tailwaste	2.8 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	7 mi
Little Bighorn River near Hardin MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi
Little Bighorn River near Crow Agency MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	111 cfs	Low	−2.0 cfs	11 mi
Bighorn River and BIA Canal near St. XavierReservoir	3,186.63 ft	Normal		26 mi
Bighorn R below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam near St. XavierRiver gauge, Bighorn R	1,600 cfs	Low	+10.0 cfs	26 mi
Bighorn Lake YellowtailReservoir	3,626.40 ft	Normal		27 mi
Rosebud C at Reservation Bndry near Kirby MTRiver gauge, Rosebud C	3.7 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	38 mi
Yellowstone River at Billings MTRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	2.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	41 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 Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:30 AM MDT, the water level was 9.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin normal?

Very low for late 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 Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin?

The highest level on record is 16.36 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:06288400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.64409, -107.65822 (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	9.22 ft	2026-10-21 07:30	Provisional
Flow	1,740 cfs	2026-10-21 07:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bighorn River at Two Leggins Bridge, near Hardin (usgs:06288400). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/bighorn-river-at-two-leggins-bridge-near-hardin

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