Missouri River at Fort Benton MT water level

Name: Missouri River at Fort Benton 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, Missouri River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.02ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM MDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 4,610 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Missouri River at Fort Benton MT reads 2.02 ft, a normal level.

It is 11.48 ft below the flood stage of 13.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.94 ft and 2.08 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 18.50 ftJune 6, 1908

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 13.50 ft, still 11.48 ft away.

What happens at each level

18.50 ft: Inundation of Main, Franklin, and Washington Streets and all thoroughfares in between these and river.
13.50 ft: Front Street floods.
13.00 ft: Minor flooding of sidewalk along left bank of river.
10.00 ft: Right bank bankfull with overflow into willows.
2.02 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.50 ft	June 6, 1908
2	16.39 ft	February 9, 1996
3	14.37 ft	January 12, 1968
4	14.14 ft	January 11, 1973
5	14.00 ft	January 15, 1974
6	13.64 ft	January 30, 1984
7	13.57 ft	June 5, 1953
8	13.53 ft	January 18, 1970
9	13.44 ft	June 10, 1964
10	13.26 ft	March 3, 1972

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 76° 49° – Wind 26 mph

18 Sun 62° 46° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 59° 47° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 69° 43° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 73° 53° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 58° 42° 0.14 in, 35% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:50 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 10 hr, 37 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River at Toston MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	4.08 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	121 mi
Missouri River below Hauser Dam near Helena MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	2,810 cfs	Low	−190.0 cfs	92 mi
Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Cr MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	2,920 cfs	Very low	−80.0 cfs	85 mi
Missouri River at Cascade MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	3,390 cfs	Normal	±0	61 mi
Missouri River near Ulm MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	2.99 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	43 mi
Missouri River near Great Falls MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	4,150 cfs	Low	+130 cfs	24 mi
Missouri River at Virgelle MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	3.00 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
Missouri River near Landusky MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	93 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Marias River near Loma MTRiver gauge, Marias River	490 cfs	Normal	+6.0 cfs	10 mi
Marias River near Chester MTRiver gauge, Marias River	515 cfs	Normal	±0	39 mi
Lake Elwell and TiberLake	2,987.24 ft	High		40 mi
Sun River near Vaughn MTRiver gauge, Sun River	2.44 ft	Below flood stage	±0	44 mi
Muddy Creek at Vaughn MTRiver gauge, Muddy Creek	3.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	44 mi
Boxelder Creek at Box ElderRiver gauge, Boxelder Creek	5.5 cfs	High	−0.2 cfs	45 mi
Boxelder Creek near Rocky BoyRiver gauge, Boxelder Creek	8.9 cfs	Normal	+0.4 cfs	51 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Missouri River at Fort Benton MT?

The official flood stage is 13.50 ft. The level is currently 11.48 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 Missouri River at Fort Benton MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM MDT, the water level was 2.02 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River at Fort Benton MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Missouri River at Fort Benton MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Missouri River at Fort Benton MT?

The highest level on record is 18.50 ft on June 6, 1908.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06090800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.81691, -110.66614 (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	2.02 ft	2026-10-20 16:30	Provisional
Flow	4,610 cfs	2026-10-20 16:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River at Fort Benton MT (usgs:06090800). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/missouri-river-at-fort-benton-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