Madison River near West Yellowstone, MT
Southwest Montana (Madison & Gallatin) · USGS gauge 06037500 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 3 Madison River gauges in Montana
Reading time: Oct 24, 1:30 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
- 17th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 370–472 cfs
- Median for this date
- 414 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 296 / 370 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Madison River near West Yellowstone is flowing at 356 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 1:30 PM PDT. That is on the low side for this time of year: lower than about 83% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 101 years of record (1913–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 370 to 472 cfs, with a median of 414 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 330 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 522 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been rising (+10.6%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 296 to 370 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 Madison River near West Yellowstone fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Madison River near West Yellowstone is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 356 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 17th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 1:30 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 Madison River near West Yellowstone?
356 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 06037500 as of Oct 24, 1:30 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Madison River near West Yellowstone too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (370 to 472 cfs).
Is the Madison River near West Yellowstone rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been rising (+10.6%).
What is a normal flow for the Madison River near West Yellowstone in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 414 cfs and the middle half of days runs 370 to 472 cfs, over 101 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 | 301 | 3rd | Too low |
| Mon Oct 19 | 299 | 2nd | Too low |
| Tue Oct 20 | 299 | 2nd | Too low |
| Wed Oct 21 | 300 | 2nd | Too low |
| Thu Oct 22 | 305 | 3rd | Too low |
| Fri Oct 23 | 322 | 6th | Too low |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 363 | 20th | 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 101 years of USGS daily data (1913–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 06037500 (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-06037500
- USGS name
- Madison River Near West Yellowstone, Mt
- Drainage area
- 438 sq mi
- Location
- 44.6571, -111.0680
- Record in this analysis
- 1913–2026
Nearby gauges
- Henrys Fork near Island Park, ID Fishable/Floatable 91.9 cfs · about 23 mi away (straight line)
- Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, MT Fishable/Floatable 1,250 cfs · about 34 mi away (straight line)
- Henrys Fork near Ashton, ID Fishable/Floatable 804 cfs · about 46 mi away (straight line)
- Madison River near Cameron, MT Fishable/Floatable 994 cfs · about 52 mi away (straight line)
- Henrys Fork at St. Anthony, ID Fishable/Floatable 1,370 cfs · about 56 mi away (straight line)
- Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway, MT Fishable/Floatable 419 cfs · about 59 mi away (straight line)
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