Clark Fork near Plains MT water level

Name: Clark Fork near Plains 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, Clark Fork, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.57ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 PM PDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 10,200 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.45 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:26 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Clark Fork near Plains MT is at 4.57 ft, in the normal range.

It is 11.43 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.45 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 4.56 ft and 4.58 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 19.17 ftJune 5, 1948
Forecast peak: 4.56 ftSunday, October 18 at 11:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Clark Fork near Plains MT

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 16.00 ft, 11.43 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Flooding affects low lying areas ajacent to the river including county roads and possibly areas in Plains west of Montana Rail Link. Floodwaters also threaten Highway 200 west of Plains and Highway 200 west of Paradise.
16.00 ft: Flooding affects county roads and low lying areas adjacent to the river.
4.57 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.17 ft	June 5, 1948
2	18.41 ft	May 28, 1928
3	18.00 ft	June 17, 1933
4	17.94 ft	June 5, 1913
5	17.90 ft	July 2, 1916
6	17.60 ft	June 14, 1927
7	17.48 ft	June 11, 1964
8	17.25 ft	June 9, 1922
9	17.13 ft	June 10, 1972
10	17.12 ft	May 19, 1997

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 73° 51° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 67° 43° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 70° 46° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 66° 44° – Wind 3 mph

21 Wed 70° 44° 0.00 in Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 47° 0.17 in, 21% Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 61° 48° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:04 AM Sunset 05:46 PM Daylight 10 hr, 41 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on Clark Fork

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Clark Fork near Galen MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	83.2 cfs	Normal	±0	130 mi
Clark Fork at Deer Lodge MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	2.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	123 mi
Clark Fork above Little Blackfoot R near Garrison MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	185 cfs	Low	−5.0 cfs	116 mi
Clark Fork at Goldcreek MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	291 cfs	Low	−8.0 cfs	108 mi
Clark Fork near Drummond MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	3.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	87 mi
Clark Fork at Turah Bridge near Bonner MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	855 cfs	Normal	−6.0 cfs	64 mi
Clark Fork above Missoula MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	58 mi
Clark Fork below Missoula MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	1.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	52 mi
Clark Fork at St. Regis MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	5.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Flathead River at Perma MTRiver gauge, Flathead River	7,560 cfs	Normal	−20.0 cfs	13 mi
St. Regis River near St. RegisRiver gauge, St. Regis River	1.71 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Thompson River near Thompson Falls MTRiver gauge, Thompson River	2.73 ft	Below flood stage	±0	21 mi
Prospect Creek at Thompson Falls MTRiver gauge, Prospect Creek	0.39 ft	Below flood stage	±0	26 mi
Flathead River near Polson MTRiver gauge, Flathead River	5.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	33 mi
St Joe River at Red Ives Ranger StationRiver gauge, St Joe River	47.0 cfs	Very low	±0	35 mi
Flathead Lake at Polson MTLake, Flathead Lake	2,891.92 ft	High	−0.07 ft	37 mi
Mission Creek above reservoir near St. Ignatius MTRiver gauge, Mission Creek	12.4 cfs	Very low	±0	41 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Clark Fork near Plains MT?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 11.43 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 Clark Fork near Plains MT today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 PM PDT, the water level was 4.57 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Clark Fork near Plains MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Clark Fork near Plains MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Clark Fork near Plains MT?

The highest level on record is 19.17 ft on June 5, 1948.

Is Clark Fork near Plains MT expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.45 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12389000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.42920, -114.85653 (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	4.57 ft	2026-10-19 05:45	Provisional
Flow	10,200 cfs	2026-10-19 05:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/15537?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Clark Fork near Plains MT water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Clark Fork near Plains MT (usgs:12389000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/clark-fork-near-plains-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