North Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls, MT
River level and flood forecast · Flathead County
Normal1.9 ftas of Mon 1:45 PM
The river is 11.1 ft below flood stage (13 ft).
Forecast to hold near 1.9 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 12 PM.
Flow: 763 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 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 17 ft |
| Flood stage | 13 ft |
| Action stage | 12.5 ft |
| Record crest (June 9, 1964) | 18.6 ft |
Highest crests on record
- 18.6 ft — June 9, 1964
- 17.03 ft — June 7, 1995
- 12.58 ft — June 18, 1974
- 12.25 ft — May 21, 1954
- 12 ft — June 2, 1972
Recent crests: 6.48 ft (December 12, 2025) · 7.46 ft (May 13, 2025) · 10.16 ft (June 12, 2022) · 8.46 ft (June 4, 2021) · 10.55 ft (June 1, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier, MT
- Flathead River at Columbia Falls, MT
- South Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls, MT
- Whitefish River near Kalispell, MT
- Stillwater River at Lawrence Park at Kalispell, MT
- Flathead River at Foys Bend near Kalispell, MT
- Swiftcurrent Creek at Many Glacier near Babb, MT
- Swan River near Bigfork, MT
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (FCFM8); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.