Missouri River at Fort Benton, MT
Missouri River & Headwaters (Montana) · USGS gauge 06090800 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 3 Missouri 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
- 39th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 4,230–6,090 cfs
- Median for this date
- 5,040 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 4,390 / 4,940 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Missouri River at Fort Benton is flowing at 4,690 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 1:30 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: lower than about 61% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 137 years of record (1890–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 4,230 to 6,090 cfs, with a median of 5,040 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 3,670 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 7,500 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+6.3%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 4,390 to 4,940 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 Missouri River at Fort Benton fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Missouri River at Fort Benton is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 4,690 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 39th 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 Missouri River at Fort Benton?
4,690 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 06090800 as of Oct 24, 1:30 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Missouri River at Fort Benton too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (4,230 to 6,090 cfs).
Is the Missouri River at Fort Benton rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+6.3%).
What is a normal flow for the Missouri River at Fort Benton in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 5,040 cfs and the middle half of days runs 4,230 to 6,090 cfs, over 137 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 | 4,512 | 36th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 4,545 | 36th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 4,591 | 37th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 4,563 | 36th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 4,586 | 36th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 4,481 | 33rd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 4,641 | 38th | 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 137 years of USGS daily data (1890–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 06090800 (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-06090800
- USGS name
- Missouri River At Fort Benton Mt
- Drainage area
- 24,297 sq mi
- Location
- 47.8169, -110.6661
- Record in this analysis
- 1890–2026
Nearby gauges
- Smith River near Eden, MT Fishable/Floatable 149 cfs · about 55 mi away (straight line)
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