Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling MT water level

Name: Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling 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, Madison River, Montana, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.55ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 AM MDT (37 min ago)

Flow: 707 cfs
Water temperature: 52 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

At 1.55 ft, the Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling MT is far below normal for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

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 52 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 5.30 ftAugust 15, 1959

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	5.30 ft	August 15, 1959
2	3.69 ft	June 3, 1943

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Madison River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Madison River near West YellowstoneRiver gauge, Madison River	296 cfs	Very low	±0	20 mi
Madison River at Kirby Ranch near Cameron MTRiver gauge, Madison River	788 cfs	Low	±0	12 mi
Madison River near Cameron MTRiver gauge, Madison River	926 cfs	Low	±0	32 mi
Madison River at EnnisRiver gauge, Madison River	4.47 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	38 mi
Madison River above powerplant near McAllister MTRiver gauge, Madison River	101 cfs	Low	−2.0 cfs	45 mi
Madison River below Ennis Lake near McAllister MTRiver gauge, Madison River	1,200 cfs	Low	−20.0 cfs	45 mi
Madison River near Norris MTRiver gauge, Madison River	4.04 ft	No reference yet	±0	52 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Henrys Lake and Henrys LakeLake	12.89 ft	Low		19 mi
Henrys Fork near LakeRiver gauge, Henrys Fork	0.4 cfs	Very low	+0.1 cfs	19 mi
Gibbon River at Madison Jct, YNPRiver gauge, Gibbon River	66.9 cfs	Very low	±0	28 mi
Firehole River near West Yellowstone MTRiver gauge, Firehole River	200 cfs	Very low	±0	29 mi
Gallatin River above Deer Creek, near Big SkyRiver gauge, Gallatin River	232 cfs	Very low	±0	30 mi
Island Park ReservoirReservoir	6,281.94 ft	Low		31 mi
Henrys Fork near Island ParkRiver gauge, Henrys Fork	89.9 cfs	Very low	−2.0 cfs	31 mi
Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs MTRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	1.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	32 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 Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 AM MDT, the water level was 1.55 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling MT?

The highest level on record is 5.30 ft on August 15, 1959.

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:06038500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.86639, -111.33878 (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	1.55 ft	2026-10-20 15:45	Provisional
Flow	707 cfs	2026-10-20 15:45	Provisional
Water temperature	52 °F	2026-10-20 15:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Madison River below Hebgen Lake near Grayling MT (usgs:06038500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/madison-river-below-hebgen-lake-near-grayling-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