Swan River near Bigfork water level

Name: Swan River near Bigfork 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, Swan River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.24ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 430 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.48 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 06:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Swan River near Bigfork is at 2.24 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.26 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.48 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 06:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.19 ft and 2.29 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 7.34 ftJune 20, 1974
Forecast peak: 2.48 ftSaturday, October 24 at 06:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Swan River near Bigfork

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 6.50 ft, 4.26 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

7.00 ft: Flooding is possible in the Rippling Waters area near Ferndale.
6.60 ft: Flooding affects low lying areas north of Lion Creek Road and adjacent to the river.
6.50 ft: Flooding affects low lying areas adjacent to the river.
2.24 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	7.34 ft	June 20, 1974
2	7.27 ft	May 18, 1997
3	7.12 ft	May 24, 1948
4	7.00 ft	June 18, 1933
5	6.98 ft	June 10, 1964
6	6.72 ft	June 22, 1959
7	6.61 ft	June 22, 2022
8	6.58 ft	June 8, 1970
9	6.42 ft	June 4, 1956
10	6.38 ft	May 29, 1961

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 08:02 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 10 hr, 40 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
S F Flathead R above Twin C near Hungry Horse MTRiver gauge, S F Flathead R	421 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	20 mi
Stillwater River at Lawrence Park, at KalispellRiver gauge, Stillwater River	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi
Hungry Horse ReservoirReservoir	3,541.58 ft	Normal		22 mi
S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, S F Flathead River	2,420 cfs	Normal	+80.0 cfs	23 mi
Flathead Lake at Polson MTLake, Flathead Lake	2,891.91 ft	High	−0.04 ft	24 mi
Whitefish River near Kalispell MTRiver gauge, Whitefish River	1.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	25 mi
Flathead River at Columbia Falls MTRiver gauge, Flathead River	3.82 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	25 mi
Flathead River near Polson MTRiver gauge, Flathead River	5.67 ft	Below flood stage	+0.20 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Swan River near Bigfork?

The official flood stage is 6.50 ft. The level is currently 4.26 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 Swan River near Bigfork today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 PM MDT, the water level was 2.24 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Swan River near Bigfork rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Swan River near Bigfork normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Swan River near Bigfork?

The highest level on record is 7.34 ft on June 20, 1974.

Is Swan River near Bigfork expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.48 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 06:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12370000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.02423, -113.97882 (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	2.24 ft	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional
Flow	430 cfs	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Swan River near Bigfork (usgs:12370000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/swan-river-near-bigfork

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