Bitterroot River near Darby, MT

Western Montana (Clark Fork & Bitterroot) · USGS gauge 12344000 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional

All 2 Bitterroot River gauges in Montana

Fishable/Floatable307 cfs▲ rising (+30% 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
57th percentile
Typical range (25th–75th)
226–367 cfs
Median for this date
289 cfs
7-day low / high
197 / 340 cfs

Plain-language explanation

Bitterroot River near Darby is flowing at 307 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: higher than about 57% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 90 years of record (1937–2026).

The middle half of those historical flows runs from 226 to 367 cfs, with a median of 289 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 193 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 531 cfs.

Over the last 24 hours the flow has been rising (+29.5%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 197 to 340 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 Bitterroot River near Darby fishable today?

Flowcast's status for the Bitterroot River near Darby is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 307 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 57th 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 Bitterroot River near Darby?

307 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12344000 as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT, provisional data.

Is the Bitterroot River near Darby too high or too low right now?

Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (226 to 367 cfs).

Is the Bitterroot River near Darby rising or falling?

Over the last 24 hours the flow has been rising (+29.5%).

What is a normal flow for the Bitterroot River near Darby in October?

For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 289 cfs and the middle half of days runs 226 to 367 cfs, over 90 years of USGS record.

7-day trend

typical range for this date (25th-75th pct)176222268315361Sun 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 1821221stFishable/Floatable
Mon Oct 1921020thFishable/Floatable
Tue Oct 2020518thFishable/Floatable
Wed Oct 2120015thFishable/Floatable
Thu Oct 2219713thFishable/Floatable
Fri Oct 2322826thFishable/Floatable
Sat Oct 24 (so far)32264thFishable/Floatable

Seasonal context

1002005001,0002,0005,00010,000JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Shaded band: 10th–90th percentile of daily flows through the year; dashed line: median. Log scale. Dot: today's flow. Based on 90 years of USGS daily data (1937–2026).

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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-12344000
USGS name
Bitterroot River Near Darby Mt
Drainage area
1,050 sq mi
Location
45.9721, -114.1412
Record in this analysis
1937–2026
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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Western Montana: Clark Fork, Bitterroot & Blackfoot

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