Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 12358500 · Montana · drains 1,125 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 7:45 AM · streamflow
The Middle Fork Flathead River at West Glacier is running 487 cfs, 57% of the median flow for November 4 (860 cfs, 87 years). Gage height is 1.71 ft, 8.3 ft below flood stage (10.0 ft). Flow is down 1% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Middle Fork Flathead River
for rafters & kayakersJohn Stevens Canyon (Moccasin Creek to West Glacier)
Too lowClass III+ · 8.9 mi · 18 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: Moccasin Creek, Put In · Take-out: West Glacier, Take Out
Low from 700 · good 3,000–6,000 · too high above 17,000 cfs
Now: 487 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 3775.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Flow on this section is natural (snowmelt and rain), not set by a dam release schedule, so check the live reading above before you go. Commercial rafting season depends on runoff. Source.
Below dams the river can rise suddenly and turn violent when releases start; stay out of tailrace areas and off the river outside scheduled windows unless you know the flow. Ranges are for experienced paddlers at the gauge shown; rapids change after floods, so scout and check for new wood. Wear a PFD, never boat alone, and follow the American Whitewater Safety Code. New to whitewater? Go with a licensed outfitter.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumAction (9.0 ft) is 7.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (10.0 ft) is 8.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (14.0 ft) is 12.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (18.0 ft) is 16.3 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
About Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 481 cfs (Oct 26, 2026) to 16,500 cfs (Dec 12, 2025). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1940; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 300 cfs (1953) to 6,150 cfs (1986). The river drains 1,125 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are Hungry Horse Reservoir (11 mi south) and Lake Sherburne (32 mi northeast). See all 8 Montana river gauges on the Montana lake & river levels page.
Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow 57% of normal, flow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 7:52 AM–9:52 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow57% of normalFlow steady (-1% in 24 h)
Official Montana fishing info: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — Fishing info
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
4/10
Waning crescent · 21% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:27 AM · Sunset 5:11 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:52 AM–9:52 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot8:14 PM–10:14 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:48 AM–2:48 AM
- Moonset2:40 PM–3:40 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 7:52 AM–9:52 AM · 8:14 PM–10:14 PM Minor 1:48 AM–2:48 AM · 2:40 PM–3:40 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:36 AM–10:36 AM · 8:58 PM–10:58 PM Minor 3:02 AM–4:02 AM · 2:55 PM–3:55 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 3/10Poor | Major 9:20 AM–11:20 AM · 9:42 PM–11:42 PM Minor 4:16 AM–5:16 AM · 3:11 PM–4:11 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 10:04 AM–12:04 PM · 10:27 PM–12:27 AM Minor 5:29 AM–6:29 AM · 3:28 PM–4:28 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:50 AM–12:50 PM · 11:14 PM–1:14 AM Minor 6:42 AM–7:42 AM · 3:49 PM–4:49 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:39 AM–1:39 PM Minor 7:55 AM–8:55 AM · 4:15 PM–5:15 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:03 AM–2:03 AM · 12:29 PM–2:29 PM Minor 9:04 AM–10:04 AM · 4:49 PM–5:49 PM |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the river is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moon overhead × sunrise +2) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 4.6 days) | 0 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 4, rounded | 4/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 48.50, -114.01 (moon times from astronomical equations, Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier local time).
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge WGCM8- Action stage9 ft+7.3 ft from now
- Minor stage10 ft+8.3 ft from now
- Moderate stage14 ft+12.3 ft from now
- Major stage18 ft+16.3 ft from now
- Record crest36.46 ft1964
November 4 in history
87 years of flow records- Today487 cfs
- Same date last year859 cfs2025
- Median860 cfs
- Normal range598 cfs – 1,430 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19406,150 cfs1986
- Lowest since 1940300 cfs1953
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 487 | -2% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 495 | -1% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 502 | +1% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 496 | -1% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 502 | -3% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 516 | -4% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 539 | +1% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 532 | +6% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 500 | +4% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 481 | -3% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
Guides
All guides →- Best time to go whitewater rafting, river by riverTypical flow each month against American Whitewater’s ranges, for 40+ rafting runs.
- What river flow is best for rafting?How to read cfs and our Too low / Good / High bands before a raft trip, with live examples.
- What CFS is safe for kayaking and rafting?Live flows against American Whitewater ranges for classic Eastern runs.
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 12358500 — M F Flathead River near West Glacier MT
- Location
- 48.4955, -114.0102 · Montana
- Drainage area
- 1,125 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1940–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 7:45 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge WGCM8 — National Water Prediction Service
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.