Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT

Flathead County, Montana · USGS gauge 12363000 · NWS CFMM8 · Flathead River flood status · Montana river levels

Nearby: river levels near Kalispell · river levels near Columbia Falls

Is Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT flooding right now?

Flathead River at Columbia Falls MT measured 4.92 ft on 2026-09-11 01:45:00 UTC. That observation was 8.1 ft below its 13 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
4.92 ft
as of 19 min ago
Streamflow
5,960 cfs
data refreshed 2 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 13 ft, with major flooding at 22 ft. The highest crest on record was 25.58 ft on Tue, Jun 9, 1964.

Flood forecast

NWS forecast, issued 10 hours ago. Forecasts are issued for select river points and update through the day.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action12.5 ft7.6 ft below
Minor flood13 ft8.1 ft below
Moderate flood18 ft13.1 ft below
Major flood22 ft17.1 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
25.58 ft1964-06-09
22.7 ft1894-06-01
19.08 ft1948-05-23
18.71 ft1928-05-27
17.63 ft1933-06-16

Last 7 days

Past 7 days · 4.27–5.20 ft

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Whitefish River near Kalispell MT5.2 miFlathead County
S F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT6.8 miFlathead County
N F Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT9.6 miFlathead County
Stillwater River near Whitefish MT9.7 miFlathead County
Flathead River near Kalispell, MT10.1 miFlathead County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast