Flathead River near Polson MT water level

Name: Flathead River near Polson 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, Flathead River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.47ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:50 PM MDT (16 min ago)

Flow: 7,250 cfs
Water temperature: 54 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.04 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 06:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:24 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Flathead River near Polson MT, where the gauge shows 5.47 ft.

It is 12.53 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.04 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 06:00 AM. The 30-day range is 5.45 ft – 5.52 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 54 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.00 ftJune 1, 1894
Forecast peak: 5.46 ftSunday, October 18 at 12:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 18.00 ft.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Flooding to agricultural land in the vicinity of Dixon. Cattle may be stranded in low lying areas next to the river.
5.47 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.00 ft	June 1, 1894
2	19.30 ft	May 26, 1980
3	19.15 ft	June 6, 1948
4	17.99 ft	June 12, 1964
5	17.99 ft	June 16, 1951
6	17.45 ft	May 26, 1958
7	17.20 ft	May 29, 1928
8	17.04 ft	June 3, 1945
9	16.90 ft	June 24, 1974
10	16.89 ft	June 24, 2022

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 08:01 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Flathead River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Flathead River at Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, Flathead River	3.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	47 mi
Flathead River at Perma MTRiver gauge, Flathead River	7,580 cfs	Normal	+20.0 cfs	27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Flathead Lake at Polson MTLake, Flathead Lake	2,891.94 ft	High	−0.04 ft	4.1 mi
Swan River near BigforkRiver gauge, Swan River	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	27 mi
Mission Creek above reservoir near St. Ignatius MTRiver gauge, Mission Creek	12.4 cfs	Very low	±0	28 mi
Clark Fork near Plains MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	4.58 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	33 mi
Stillwater River at Lawrence Park, at KalispellRiver gauge, Stillwater River	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	37 mi
S F Flathead R above Twin C near Hungry Horse MTRiver gauge, S F Flathead R	425 cfs	Normal	±0	38 mi
South Fork Jocko River near Arlee MTRiver gauge, South Fork Jocko River	18.4 cfs	Low	−0.5 cfs	38 mi
Clark Fork at St. Regis MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork	5.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	47 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Flathead River near Polson MT?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 12.53 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 near Polson MT today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:50 PM MDT, the water level was 5.47 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Flathead River near Polson MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Flathead River near Polson 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 near Polson MT?

The highest level on record is 21.00 ft on June 1, 1894.

Is Flathead River near Polson MT expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.04 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 06:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12372000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.68029, -114.24673 (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	5.47 ft	2026-10-18 19:50	Provisional
Flow	7,250 cfs	2026-10-18 19:50	Provisional
Water temperature	54 °F	2026-10-18 19:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Flathead River near Polson MT (usgs:12372000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/flathead-river-near-polson-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