Clark Fork River near Plains, MT
River level and flood forecast · Sanders County
Normal4.6 ftas of Mon 1:45 PM
The river is 11.4 ft below flood stage (16 ft).
Forecast to hold near 4.6 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 12 PM.
Flow: 10,100 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:36 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 19.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 18 ft |
| Flood stage | 16 ft |
| Action stage | 15 ft |
| Record crest (June 5, 1948) | 19.17 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 18 ftFlooding affects low lying areas ajacent to the river including county roads and possibly areas in Plains west of Montana Rail Link. Floodwaters also threaten Highway 200 west of Plains and Highway 200 west of Paradise.
- 16 ftFlooding affects county roads and low lying areas adjacent to the river.
Highest crests on record
- 19.17 ft — June 5, 1948
- 18.41 ft — May 28, 1928
- 18 ft — June 17, 1933
- 17.94 ft — June 5, 1913
- 17.9 ft — July 2, 1916
Recent crests: 9.08 ft (May 13, 2025) · 14.91 ft (June 13, 2022) · 12 ft (June 6, 2021) · 14.15 ft (June 2, 2020) · 16.55 ft (May 27, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (PLNM8); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.