Bighorn River below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, near St. Xavier, MT

South-Central Montana (Yellowstone & Bighorn) · USGS gauge 06287000 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional

Fishable/Floatable1,780 cfs● steady (+1% in 24 h)

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
17th percentile
Typical range (25th–75th)
2,065–3,485 cfs
Median for this date
2,740 cfs
7-day low / high
1,530 / 1,880 cfs

Plain-language explanation

Bighorn River below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, near St. Xavier is flowing at 1,780 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT. That is on the low side for this time of year: lower than about 83% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 93 years of record (1934–2026).

The middle half of those historical flows runs from 2,065 to 3,485 cfs, with a median of 2,740 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 1,506 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 4,250 cfs.

Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+0.6%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 1,530 to 1,880 cfs.

Regulated flow: upstream dams or diversions influence this gauge, so the “normal range” above reflects managed flows and can differ from natural river behavior.

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 Bighorn River below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, near St. Xavier fishable today?

Flowcast's status for the Bighorn River below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, near St. Xavier is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 1,780 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 17th 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 Bighorn River below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, near St. Xavier?

1,780 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 06287000 as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT, provisional data.

Is the Bighorn River below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, near St. Xavier too high or too low right now?

Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (2,065 to 3,485 cfs).

Is the Bighorn River below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, near St. Xavier rising or falling?

Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+0.6%).

What is a normal flow for the Bighorn River below Yellowtail Afterbay Dam, near St. Xavier in October?

For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 2,740 cfs and the middle half of days runs 2,065 to 3,485 cfs, over 93 years of USGS record.

7-day trend

1,4781,5911,7051,8191,932Sun 10/18Mon 10/19Tue 10/20Wed 10/21Thu 10/22Fri 10/23Sat 10/24

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 cfsPercentileStatus that day
Sun Oct 181,59013thFishable/Floatable
Mon Oct 191,59213thFishable/Floatable
Tue Oct 201,58813thFishable/Floatable
Wed Oct 211,66215thFishable/Floatable
Thu Oct 221,78318thFishable/Floatable
Fri Oct 231,78518thFishable/Floatable
Sat Oct 24 (so far)1,78618thFishable/Floatable

Seasonal context

1,0002,0005,00010,00020,00050,000100,000JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Shaded band: 10th–90th percentile of daily flows through the year; dashed line: median. Log scale. Dot: today's flow. Based on 93 years of USGS daily data (1934–2026).

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Official resources

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-06287000
USGS name
Bighorn R Bl Yellowtail Afterbay Dam Nr St. Xavier
Drainage area
19,670 sq mi
Location
45.3169, -107.9189
Record in this analysis
1934–2026
Data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Readings are provisional and subject to revision. Flowcast statuses are automated comparisons with each gauge's own history, not safety ratings or fishing reports. Check local conditions, weather, regulations and closures before you go. Rivers can change quickly.

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