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Flathead Lake at Polson MT water level

Lake, Flathead Lake, Montana, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Surface elevation

2,891.97ft Steady over the last 24 hours

2,890 2,891 2,892

History

2,8902,8912,892ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 182,8902,8912,892ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
2,8902,8912,8922,893ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 182,8902,8912,8922,893ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
2,8852,890ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20262,8852,890ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
2,8852,890ftOct 2020Apr 2022Oct 2023Apr 2025Oct 20262,8852,890ftOct 2020Oct 2023Oct 2026
2,8852,890ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20262,8852,890ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Flathead Lake at Polson MT is above normal at 2,891.97 ft.

The median for mid-October is 2,891.07 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 0.90 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 2,890.79 ft, a difference of +1.18 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2,891.87 ft and 2,893.07 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2,891.07 ft0.90 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2,890.16 ft – 2,892.05 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year
2,890.79 ft+1.18 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2,891.87 ft – 2,893.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2,886.35 ft – 2,893.15 ft

On the water at Flathead Lake at Polson MT

With the level a bit above normal, expect a shoreline slightly higher up than usual and the odd floating branch.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 56° 38° – Wind 9 mph
19 Mon 65° 42° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 55° 46° – Wind 4 mph
21 Wed 59° 44° – Wind 3 mph
22 Thu 61° 49° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 61° 43° 0.02 in, 63% Wind 13 mph
24 Sat 47° 40° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:00 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 51%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Flathead River near Polson MTRiver gauge, Flathead River 5.45 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 4.1 mi
Swan River near BigforkRiver gauge, Swan River 2.25 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 24 mi
Mission Creek above reservoir near St. Ignatius MTRiver gauge, Mission Creek 12.4 cfs Very low ±0 27 mi
Flathead River at Perma MTRiver gauge, Flathead River 7,610 cfs Normal +50.0 cfs 30 mi
S F Flathead R above Twin C near Hungry Horse MTRiver gauge, S F Flathead R 425 cfs Normal ±0 34 mi
Stillwater River at Lawrence Park, at KalispellRiver gauge, Stillwater River 2.78 ft Below flood stage ±0 37 mi
Clark Fork near Plains MTRiver gauge, Clark Fork 4.56 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 37 mi
South Fork Jocko River near Arlee MTRiver gauge, South Fork Jocko River 18.4 cfs Low −0.5 cfs 38 mi

Questions and answers

Is Flathead Lake at Polson MT higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.18 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2,890.79 ft.

What is a normal level for Flathead Lake at Polson MT in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2,891.07 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2,890.16 ft and 2,892.05 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Flathead Lake at Polson MT really 2,891.97 ft deep?

No. 2,891.97 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

What is the water level of Flathead Lake at Polson MT today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 AM MDT, the surface elevation was 2,891.97 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Flathead Lake at Polson MT rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.40 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Flathead Lake at Polson MT normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:12371550 (Agency page)
Coordinates
47.69691, -114.16130 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
local
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Surface elevation 2,891.97 ft 2026-10-18 15:30 Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Flathead Lake at Polson MT (usgs:12371550). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/flathead-lake-at-polson-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