Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT water level

Name: Yellowstone River at Forsyth 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, Yellowstone River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.70ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 PM MDT (51 min ago)

Flow: 5,110 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT is at 1.70 ft, in the normal range.

It is 12.30 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.70 ft and 1.83 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: 14.53 ftMay 21, 1978

Floating and fishing near Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT

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

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 12.30 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Water begins to seep up from the ground into basements of homes along the west side of forsyth.+
1.70 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	14.53 ft	May 21, 1978
2	12.82 ft	June 14, 1997
3	12.27 ft	June 17, 2022
4	12.24 ft	May 24, 2011
5	11.53 ft	May 30, 2018
6	10.79 ft	June 14, 1996
7	10.41 ft	June 1, 2014
8	9.85 ft	June 14, 1991
9	9.82 ft	July 2, 1982
10	9.68 ft	June 8, 2017

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 75° 41° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 64° 40° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 72° 40° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 69° 46° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 77° 53° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 62° 45° 0.11 in, 49% Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Yellowstone River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yellowstone River at Billings MTRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	2.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	91 mi
Yellowstone River at Miles CityRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	3.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	41 mi
Yellowstone River at GlendiveRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	43.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	110 mi
Yellowstone River near Sidney MTRiver gauge, Yellowstone River	2.79 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	154 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tongue R below Brandenberg bridge near Ashland MTRiver gauge, Tongue R	135 cfs	Low	±0	37 mi
Bighorn River above Tullock Cr near Bighorn MTRiver gauge, Bighorn River	1,820 cfs	Low	−30.0 cfs	38 mi
Rosebud C Bel Lame Deer C near Lame Deer MTRiver gauge, Rosebud C Bel Lame Deer C	17.1 cfs	Normal	+2.0 cfs	41 mi
Tongue River at Miles CityRiver gauge, Tongue River	1.69 ft	Below flood stage	±0	41 mi
Little Bighorn River near Hardin MTRiver gauge, Little Bighorn River	2.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	55 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 12.30 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 Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 PM MDT, the water level was 1.70 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT?

The highest level on record is 14.53 ft on May 21, 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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06295000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.26664, -106.69130 (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	1.70 ft	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional
Flow	5,110 cfs	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/13282?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Yellowstone River at Forsyth MT (usgs:06295000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/yellowstone-river-at-forsyth-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