Flathead River at Columbia Falls, MT
Northwest Montana (Flathead & Kootenai) · USGS gauge 12363000 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
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
- 35th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 3,212–5,308 cfs
- Median for this date
- 3,790 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 3,520 / 3,720 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Flathead River at Columbia Falls is flowing at 3,620 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 1:45 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: lower than about 65% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 98 years of record (1922–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 3,212 to 5,308 cfs, with a median of 3,790 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 1,830 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 10,390 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+0.6%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 3,520 to 3,720 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 Flathead River at Columbia Falls fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Flathead River at Columbia Falls is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 3,620 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 35th 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 Flathead River at Columbia Falls?
3,620 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12363000 as of Oct 24, 1:45 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Flathead River at Columbia Falls too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (3,212 to 5,308 cfs).
Is the Flathead River at Columbia Falls rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+0.6%).
What is a normal flow for the Flathead River at Columbia Falls in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 3,790 cfs and the middle half of days runs 3,212 to 5,308 cfs, over 98 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 | 3,580 | 35th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 3,628 | 38th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 3,649 | 39th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 3,614 | 36th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 3,609 | 35th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 3,614 | 35th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 3,620 | 35th | 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 98 years of USGS daily data (1922–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 12363000 (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-12363000
- USGS name
- Flathead River At Columbia Falls Mt
- Drainage area
- 4,473 sq mi
- Location
- 48.3618, -114.1850
- Record in this analysis
- 1922–2026
Nearby gauges
- Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier, MT Fishable/Floatable 510 cfs · about 12 mi away (straight line)
- Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby, MT Fishable/Floatable 4,240 cfs · about 52 mi away (straight line)
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