Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier, MT
Northwest Montana (Flathead & Kootenai) · USGS gauge 12358500 · 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
- 25th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 511–1,230 cfs
- Median for this date
- 746 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 502 / 590 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier is flowing at 510 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 1:45 PM PDT. That is on the low side for this time of year: lower than about 75% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 88 years of record (1939–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 511 to 1,230 cfs, with a median of 746 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 396 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 2,169 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+0.0%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 502 to 590 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 Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 510 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 25th 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 Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier?
510 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12358500 as of Oct 24, 1:45 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (511 to 1,230 cfs).
Is the Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+0.0%).
What is a normal flow for the Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 746 cfs and the middle half of days runs 511 to 1,230 cfs, over 88 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 | 551 | 31st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 541 | 30th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 530 | 28th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 519 | 27th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 511 | 26th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 507 | 25th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 504 | 24th | 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 88 years of USGS daily data (1939–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 12358500 (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-12358500
- USGS name
- M F Flathead River Near West Glacier Mt
- Drainage area
- 1,125 sq mi
- Location
- 48.4955, -114.0102
- Record in this analysis
- 1939–2026
Nearby gauges
- Flathead River at Columbia Falls, MT Fishable/Floatable 3,620 cfs · about 12 mi away (straight line)
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