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Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT water level

River gauge, Flathead River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.78ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
3,560 cfs
Water temperature
48 °F
10 20 Highest onrecord 25.58 ft Minor floodstage 13.00 ft

History

3.803.85ftOct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 283.803.85ftOct 16Oct 22Oct 28
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.79 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 06:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:24 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT, where the gauge shows 3.78 ft.

It is 9.22 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.79 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 06:00 PM. The 30-day range is 3.76 ft – 3.82 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 48 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record
25.58 ftJune 9, 1964
Forecast peak
3.87 ftWednesday, October 28 at 12:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 13.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft
Flooding in Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Creston and Foy's Bend causing isolation of many homes within the valley. Many secondary roads are impassable and closures of Highway 93 are expected.
18.00 ft
Flooding of low lying areas in Columbia Falls including many buildings and secondary roads. There is also possible flooding along Highway 93 between Kalispell and Sommers.
16.10 ft
A trailer and RV park located just north of Highway 35 in Evergreen may be flooded.
16.00 ft
Low lying buildings and roads in the vicinity of Kalispell, Creston, Columbia Falls and Foy's Bend begin flooding.
14.00 ft
Flooding of farmers crops adjacent to the Flathead River is likely. Sections of the Steel Bridge Road become inundated with water and impassable.
13.00 ft
Farmers crops adjacent to the Flathead River are inundated with water.
3.78 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
125.58 ftJune 9, 1964
222.70 ftJune 1, 1894
319.08 ftMay 23, 1948
417.63 ftJune 16, 1933
517.27 ftMay 9, 1947
616.85 ftJune 20, 1975
716.46 ftMay 22, 1932
816.16 ftJune 22, 1950
915.77 ftJune 8, 1995
1015.63 ftMay 29, 1946

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 08:03 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 10 hr, 39 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Flathead River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Flathead River near Polson MTRiver gauge, Flathead River 5.46 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 47 mi
Flathead River at Perma MTRiver gauge, Flathead River 7,580 cfs Normal ±0 71 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Whitefish River near Kalispell MTRiver gauge, Whitefish River 1.46 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 5.2 mi
S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, S F Flathead River 2,300 cfs Normal ±0 7 mi
Hungry Horse ReservoirReservoir 3,541.76 ft Normal 8 mi
N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, N F Flathead River 1.78 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 10 mi
Stillwater River at Lawrence Park, at KalispellRiver gauge, Stillwater River 2.78 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 12 mi
M F Flathead River near West Glacier MTRiver gauge, M F Flathead River 1.79 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 12 mi
Swan River near BigforkRiver gauge, Swan River 2.23 ft Below flood stage ±0 25 mi
Swiftcurrent Creek at Many Glacier MTRiver gauge, Swiftcurrent Creek 28.1 cfs Low −2.4 cfs 39 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 9.22 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 Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 08:45 PM MDT, the water level was 3.78 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT?

The highest level on record is 25.58 ft on June 9, 1964.

Is Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.79 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 06:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:12363000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
48.36181, -114.18495 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 3.78 ft 2026-10-19 02:45 Provisional
Flow 3,560 cfs 2026-10-19 02:45 Provisional
Water temperature 48 °F 2026-10-19 02:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT (usgs:12363000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/flathead-river-at-columbia-falls-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