Beaverhead River at Dillon, MT
Southwest Montana (Beaverhead & Big Hole) · USGS gauge 06017000 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 2 Beaverhead River gauges in Montana
Reading time: Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT · Provisional data
Flow is in a typical range for the date. Rivers are generally easiest to fish and float when they are near their normal flow, but this status says nothing about water clarity, hatches, hazards such as wood in the river, or dam releases.
- Vs. normal for this date
- 46th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 139–333 cfs
- Median for this date
- 166 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 79.0 / 192 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Beaverhead River at Dillon is flowing at 159 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: lower than about 54% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 35 years of record (1950–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 139 to 333 cfs, with a median of 166 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 113 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 488 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+3.9%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 79.0 to 192 cfs.
Why this status: Flow is within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year (or the deviation is too small in absolute terms to matter).
Quick answers
Is the Beaverhead River at Dillon fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Beaverhead River at Dillon is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 159 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 46th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT). That describes flow only. It says nothing about water clarity, temperature, fish activity, access or fishing regulations.
What is the current flow of the Beaverhead River at Dillon?
159 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 06017000 as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Beaverhead River at Dillon too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (139 to 333 cfs).
Is the Beaverhead River at Dillon rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+3.9%).
What is a normal flow for the Beaverhead River at Dillon in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 166 cfs and the middle half of days runs 139 to 333 cfs, over 35 years of USGS record.
7-day trend
Hourly flow in cfs, Pacific time. The shaded band is the typical range (25th–75th percentile) for this date, shown when it falls within the chart.
| Day (Pacific) | Mean cfs | Percentile | Status that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Oct 18 | 88.3 | 6th | Too low |
| Mon Oct 19 | 85.2 | 4th | Too low |
| Tue Oct 20 | 83.1 | 3rd | Too low |
| Wed Oct 21 | 82.5 | 2nd | Too low |
| Thu Oct 22 | 83.1 | 3rd | Too low |
| Fri Oct 23 | 134 | 23rd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 165 | 49th | Fishable/Floatable |
Seasonal context
Shaded band: 10th–90th percentile of daily flows through the year; dashed line: median. Log scale. Dot: today's flow. Based on 35 years of USGS daily data (1950–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 06017000 (USGS: live readings, history, station details)
- Montana fishing regulations (FWP)
- Montana aquatic invasive species (FWP)
- Montana fishing access sites (FWP)
Links go to the agencies' own websites and were checked as working. Flowcast does not summarize fishing or boating rules: regulations and closures change, and the agency pages are the authority.
About this gauge
- USGS site
- USGS-06017000
- USGS name
- Beaverhead River At Dillon Mt
- Drainage area
- 2,892 sq mi
- Location
- 45.2184, -112.6553
- Record in this analysis
- 1950–2026
Nearby gauges
- Beaverhead River near Twin Bridges, MT Fishable/Floatable 290 cfs · about 15 mi away (straight line)
- Big Hole River near Melrose, MT High but doable 657 cfs · about 21 mi away (straight line)
- Madison River near Cameron, MT Fishable/Floatable 994 cfs · about 44 mi away (straight line)
- Big Hole River below Big Lake Creek, at Wisdom, MT Use caution 308 cfs · about 48 mi away (straight line)
- Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister, MT Fishable/Floatable 1,410 cfs · about 53 mi away (straight line)
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