Bitterroot River near Missoula, MT
River level and flood forecast · Missoula County
Normal3.3 ftas of Mon 1 PM
The river is 7.7 ft below flood stage (11 ft).
Forecast to hold near 3.3 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 12 PM.
Flow: 865 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:35 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 15 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 13 ft |
| Flood stage | 11 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (May 19, 1997) | 13.11 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 15 ftFlooding affecting many lowlying areas adjacent to the river specifically homes in the Target Range and Orchard Homes neighborhoods is possible.
- 14 ftFlooding affecting low lying areas near Mcclay Bridge and homes in the Target Range area is possible.
- 12 ftFlooding of farmland and some roads along the Bitterroot River from Lolo to the confluence with the Clark Fork River is possible.
- 11 ftFlooding to low lying areas adjacent to the river is possible.
Highest crests on record
- 13.11 ft — May 19, 1997
- 12.65 ft — June 1, 2003
- 12.23 ft — May 11, 2018
- 11.97 ft — May 21, 2008
- 11.83 ft — June 10, 1996
Recent crests: 8.44 ft (May 31, 2025) · 11.38 ft (June 13, 2022) · 10.49 ft (June 6, 2021) · 11.4 ft (June 1, 2020) · 11.09 ft (May 18, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BITM8); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.