Poplar River near Poplar MT water level

Name: Poplar River near Poplar 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, Poplar River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:30 PM MDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 46.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Poplar River near Poplar MT reads 7.22 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.78 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.15 ft and 7.22 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: 22.60 ftMarch 18, 2017

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 16.00 ft, still 8.78 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: West end of high school football field begins to flood.
20.00 ft: American Legion Park begins to flood.
16.00 ft: Low lying areas near gage site begins to flood.
7.22 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	22.60 ft	March 18, 2017
2	17.77 ft	April 17, 2023
3	16.20 ft	March 11, 2020
4	14.58 ft	February 28, 2025

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 60° 33° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 66° 34° – Wind 16 mph

20 Tue 66° 40° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 66° 44° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 74° 52° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 67° 50° 0.25 in, 55% Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 48° 37° 0.45 in, 55% Wind 27 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 36 min First quarter 65%

Map

Other gauges on the Poplar River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Poplar River at international boundaryRiver gauge, Poplar River	2.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	65 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River near Wolf Point MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Big Muddy Creek near mouth near Culbertson MTRiver gauge, Big Muddy Creek	3.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	26 mi
Poplar R above W Fk Poplar R, near BredetteRiver gauge, Poplar R	26.95 ft	No reference yet	±0	33 mi
Missouri River near Culbertson MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	3.36 ft	Below flood stage	±0	33 mi
Missouri R at E Frazer Pump Plant near Frazer MTRiver gauge, Missouri R	41.66 ft	Low	+0.07 ft	38 mi
Big Muddy Creek near Antelope MTRiver gauge, Big Muddy Creek	1.56 ft	Below flood stage	+0.24 ft	49 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Poplar River near Poplar MT?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 8.78 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 Poplar River near Poplar MT today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:30 PM MDT, the water level was 7.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Poplar River near Poplar MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Poplar River near Poplar MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Poplar River near Poplar MT?

The highest level on record is 22.60 ft on March 18, 2017.

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:06181000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.11792, -105.19282 (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	7.22 ft	2026-10-20 03:30	Provisional
Flow	46.2 cfs	2026-10-20 03:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Poplar River near Poplar MT (usgs:06181000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/poplar-river-near-poplar-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