Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big Sky water level

Name: Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big Sky 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, Gallatin River, Montana, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

4.81ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 PM MDT (13 min ago)

Flow: 232 cfs
Water temperature: 48 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big Sky is running far below normal at 4.81 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 4.80 ft and 4.85 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 48 °F.

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

Floating and fishing near Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big Sky

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

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Gallatin River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gallatin River near Gallatin GatewayRiver gauge, Gallatin River	1.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Gallatin River at Logan MTRiver gauge, Gallatin River	4.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	42 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hyalite C at Hyalite R S near Bozeman MTRiver gauge, Hyalite C	25.7 cfs	Low	−2.2 cfs	20 mi
Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs MTRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	1.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Madison River above powerplant near McAllister MTRiver gauge, Madison River	101 cfs	Low	−2.0 cfs	24 mi
Madison River below Ennis Lake near McAllister MTRiver gauge, Madison River	1,200 cfs	Low	−20.0 cfs	24 mi
Madison River near Cameron MTRiver gauge, Madison River	938 cfs	Low	±0	27 mi
Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling MTRiver gauge, Madison River	707 cfs	Very low	±0	30 mi
E Gallatin R above Water Reclamation Fa near Bozeman MTRiver gauge, E Gallatin R	97.5 cfs	Very high	±0	30 mi
Gardner River near Mammoth, YNPRiver gauge, Gardner River	106 cfs	Low	−3.0 cfs	33 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 Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big Sky today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 PM MDT, the water level was 4.81 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big Sky rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big Sky normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:06043120 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.29728, -111.21139 (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	4.81 ft	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional
Flow	232 cfs	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional
Water temperature	48 °F	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big Sky (usgs:06043120). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/gallatin-river-above-deer-creek-near-big-sky

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