Clark Fork near Plains, MT

Western Montana (Clark Fork & Bitterroot) · USGS gauge 12389000 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional

All 3 Clark Fork gauges in Montana

Fishable/Floatable10,200 cfs● steady (+1% in 24 h)

Reading time: Oct 24, 1:45 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)
7,810–13,000 cfs
Median for this date
10,200 cfs
7-day low / high
9,970 / 10,200 cfs

Plain-language explanation

Clark Fork near Plains is flowing at 10,200 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 1:45 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 117 years of record (1910–2026).

The middle half of those historical flows runs from 7,810 to 13,000 cfs, with a median of 10,200 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 6,490 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 15,300 cfs.

Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+1.0%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 9,970 to 10,200 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 Clark Fork near Plains fishable today?

Flowcast's status for the Clark Fork near Plains is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 10,200 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 50th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 1:45 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 Clark Fork near Plains?

10,200 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12389000 as of Oct 24, 1:45 PM PDT, provisional data.

Is the Clark Fork near Plains too high or too low right now?

Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (7,810 to 13,000 cfs).

Is the Clark Fork near Plains rising or falling?

Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+1.0%).

What is a normal flow for the Clark Fork near Plains in October?

For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 10,200 cfs and the middle half of days runs 7,810 to 13,000 cfs, over 117 years of USGS record.

7-day trend

typical range for this date (25th-75th pct)9,7669,92610,08510,24410,404Sun 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 1810,18353rdFishable/Floatable
Mon Oct 1910,13552ndFishable/Floatable
Tue Oct 2010,14252ndFishable/Floatable
Wed Oct 2110,10051stFishable/Floatable
Thu Oct 2210,07950thFishable/Floatable
Fri Oct 2310,12851stFishable/Floatable
Sat Oct 24 (so far)10,19850thFishable/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 117 years of USGS daily data (1910–2026).

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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-12389000
USGS name
Clark Fork Near Plains Mt
Drainage area
19,964 sq mi
Location
47.4292, -114.8565
Record in this analysis
1910–2026
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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