S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT water level

Name: S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls 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, S F Flathead River, Montana, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.80ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 PM MDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 2,450 cfs
Water temperature: 42 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT reads 5.80 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.57 ft and 5.89 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 42 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 14.42 ftApril 29, 1971

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.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.42 ft	April 29, 1971
2	14.23 ft	March 9, 1965
3	13.38 ft	June 26, 2012
4	13.34 ft	June 25, 1964
5	13.23 ft	March 13, 1996
6	7.96 ft	May 15, 2025

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 63° 33° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 69° 44° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 70° 46° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 54° 42° 0.28 in, 81% Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 51° 38° 0.00 in, 46% Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 46° 30° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 51° 28° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:06 AM Sunset 06:37 PM Daylight 10 hr, 32 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hungry Horse ReservoirReservoir	3,541.38 ft	Normal		1.5 mi
Flathead River at Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, Flathead River	3.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
M F Flathead River near West Glacier MTRiver gauge, M F Flathead River	1.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	10 mi
N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, N F Flathead River	1.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Whitefish River near Kalispell MTRiver gauge, Whitefish River	1.45 ft	Below flood stage	±0	11 mi
Stillwater River at Lawrence Park, at KalispellRiver gauge, Stillwater River	2.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Swan River near BigforkRiver gauge, Swan River	2.23 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
S F Flathead R above Twin C near Hungry Horse MTRiver gauge, S F Flathead R	416 cfs	Normal	−5.0 cfs	34 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 S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 PM MDT, the water level was 5.80 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT?

The highest level on record is 14.42 ft on April 29, 1971.

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:12362500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.35658, -114.03786 (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	5.80 ft	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional
Flow	2,450 cfs	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional
Water temperature	42 °F	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT (usgs:12362500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/s-f-flathead-river-near-columbia-falls-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