Yellowstone River near Livingston, MT
South-Central Montana (Yellowstone & Bighorn) · USGS gauge 06192500 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 3 Yellowstone River gauges in Montana
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
- 25th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 1,620–2,160 cfs
- Median for this date
- 1,850 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 1,560 / 1,730 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Yellowstone River near Livingston is flowing at 1,630 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 75% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 103 years of record (1897–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 1,620 to 2,160 cfs, with a median of 1,850 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 1,470 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 2,470 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+4.5%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 1,560 to 1,730 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 Yellowstone River near Livingston fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Yellowstone River near Livingston is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 1,630 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 25th 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 Yellowstone River near Livingston?
1,630 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 06192500 as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Yellowstone River near Livingston too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (1,620 to 2,160 cfs).
Is the Yellowstone River near Livingston rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+4.5%).
What is a normal flow for the Yellowstone River near Livingston in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 1,850 cfs and the middle half of days runs 1,620 to 2,160 cfs, over 103 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 | 1,618 | 20th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,612 | 21st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,598 | 20th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,584 | 19th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,578 | 18th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,584 | 21st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 1,635 | 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 103 years of USGS daily data (1897–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 06192500 (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-06192500
- USGS name
- Yellowstone River Near Livingston, Mt
- Drainage area
- 3,551 sq mi
- Location
- 45.5972, -110.5665
- Record in this analysis
- 1897–2026
Nearby gauges
- Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway, MT Fishable/Floatable 419 cfs · about 35 mi away (straight line)
- Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, MT Fishable/Floatable 1,250 cfs · about 35 mi away (straight line)
- Gallatin River at Logan, MT Fishable/Floatable 756 cfs · about 47 mi away (straight line)
- Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister, MT Fishable/Floatable 1,410 cfs · about 52 mi away (straight line)
- Stillwater River near Absarokee, MT Fishable/Floatable 435 cfs · about 56 mi away (straight line)
- Missouri River at Toston, MT Fishable/Floatable 3,720 cfs · about 56 mi away (straight line)
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