Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby, MT
Northwest Montana (Flathead & Kootenai) · USGS gauge 12301933 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
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
- 27th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 4,188–16,600 cfs
- Median for this date
- 5,960 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 4,200 / 4,590 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby is flowing at 4,240 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: lower than about 73% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 56 years of record (1971–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 4,188 to 16,600 cfs, with a median of 5,960 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 4,010 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 21,100 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (-5.6%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 4,200 to 4,590 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 Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 4,240 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 27th 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 Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby?
4,240 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12301933 as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (4,188 to 16,600 cfs).
Is the Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (-5.6%).
What is a normal flow for the Kootenai River below Libby Dam, near Libby in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 5,960 cfs and the middle half of days runs 4,188 to 16,600 cfs, over 56 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 | 4,244 | 27th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 4,475 | 31st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 4,527 | 36th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 4,512 | 35th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 4,508 | 35th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 4,420 | 30th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 4,237 | 26th | 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 56 years of USGS daily data (1971–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 12301933 (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-12301933
- USGS name
- Kootenai River Bl Libby Dam Nr Libby Mt
- Drainage area
- 8,999 sq mi
- Location
- 48.4007, -115.3187
- Record in this analysis
- 1971–2026
Nearby gauges
- Yaak River near Troy, MT Too low 87.4 cfs · about 32 mi away (straight line)
- Flathead River at Columbia Falls, MT Fishable/Floatable 3,620 cfs · about 52 mi away (straight line)
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