Bitterroot River near Missoula, MT
Western Montana (Clark Fork & Bitterroot) · USGS gauge 12352500 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 2 Bitterroot River gauges in Montana
Reading time: Oct 24, 2:00 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
- 50th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 707–1,180 cfs
- Median for this date
- 896 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 799 / 899 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Bitterroot River near Missoula is flowing at 899 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: higher than about 50% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 44 years of record (1898–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 707 to 1,180 cfs, with a median of 896 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 650 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 1,597 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+9.1%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 799 to 899 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 Missoula fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Bitterroot River near Missoula is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 899 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 50th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 2:00 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 Missoula?
899 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12352500 as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Bitterroot River near Missoula too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (707 to 1,180 cfs).
Is the Bitterroot River near Missoula rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+9.1%).
What is a normal flow for the Bitterroot River near Missoula in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 896 cfs and the middle half of days runs 707 to 1,180 cfs, over 44 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 | 838 | 47th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 822 | 44th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 811 | 42nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 802 | 41st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 808 | 41st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 831 | 44th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 879 | 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 44 years of USGS daily data (1898–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 12352500 (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-12352500
- USGS name
- Bitterroot River Near Missoula Mt
- Drainage area
- 2,824 sq mi
- Location
- 46.8317, -114.0549
- Record in this analysis
- 1898–2026
Nearby gauges
- Clark Fork below Missoula, MT Fishable/Floatable 2,700 cfs · about 4 mi away (straight line)
- Clark Fork above Missoula, MT High but doable 1,960 cfs · about 7 mi away (straight line)
- Blackfoot River near Bonner, MT High but doable 734 cfs · about 15 mi away (straight line)
- Rock Creek near Clinton, MT Use caution 480 cfs · about 19 mi away (straight line)
- Clark Fork near Plains, MT Fishable/Floatable 10,200 cfs · about 56 mi away (straight line)
- Bitterroot River near Darby, MT Fishable/Floatable 307 cfs · about 60 mi away (straight line)
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