Tongue River at State Line near Decker MT water level

Name: Tongue River at State Line near Decker 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, Tongue River, Montana, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.33ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 AM MDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 115 cfs
Water temperature: 46 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

At 2.33 ft, the Tongue River at State Line near Decker MT is far below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.31 ft and 2.48 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 46 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 14.25 ftMay 19, 1978

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	14.25 ft	May 19, 1978
2	11.86 ft	May 29, 2019
3	10.86 ft	June 15, 1967
4	10.26 ft	May 30, 2018
5	9.86 ft	March 19, 1969
6	9.83 ft	May 22, 2011
7	9.74 ft	June 8, 2007
8	9.65 ft	June 16, 1963
9	9.62 ft	June 10, 1964
10	9.40 ft	June 18, 1995

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Tongue River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tongue River at Tongue R Dam near Decker MTRiver gauge, Tongue River	98.3 cfs	Very low	±0	10 mi
Tongue River at AshlandRiver gauge, Tongue River	97.8 cfs	Very low	±0	49 mi
Tongue River at Miles CityRiver gauge, Tongue River	1.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	106 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rosebud C at Reservation Bndry near Kirby MTRiver gauge, Rosebud C	4.3 cfs	Normal	±0	25 mi
Little Bighorn R below Pass Cr near Wyola MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn R	1.32 ft	No reference yet	±0	30 mi
Tongue R at Birney Day School Br near Birney MTRiver gauge, Tongue R	0.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	33 mi
Little Bighorn River at State Line near Wyola MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	69.5 cfs	Low	±0	38 mi
Lodge Grass Cr above Willow Cr diversion, near Wyola MTRiver gauge, Lodge Grass Cr	1.54 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	38 mi
Powder River at ArvadaRiver gauge, Powder River	39.8 cfs	Low	+13.6 cfs	43 mi
Little Bighorn River near Crow Agency MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	115 cfs	Normal	±0	49 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 Tongue River at State Line near Decker MT today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 AM MDT, the water level was 2.33 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tongue River at State Line near Decker MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Tongue River at State Line near Decker 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 Tongue River at State Line near Decker MT?

The highest level on record is 14.25 ft on May 19, 1978.

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:06306300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.00914, -106.83594 (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	2.33 ft	2026-10-20 14:15	Provisional
Flow	115 cfs	2026-10-20 14:15	Provisional
Water temperature	46 °F	2026-10-20 14:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tongue River at State Line near Decker MT (usgs:06306300). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/tongue-river-at-state-line-near-decker-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