Swan River near Bigfork, MT
River level and flood forecast · Lake County
Normal2.3 ftas of Mon 12 PM
The river is 4.3 ft below flood stage (6.5 ft).
Forecast to hold near 2.3 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 12 PM.
Flow: 430 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 | 8 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 7.5 ft |
| Flood stage | 6.5 ft |
| Action stage | 6 ft |
| Record crest (June 20, 1974) | 7.34 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 7 ftFlooding is possible in the Rippling Waters area near Ferndale.
- 6.6 ftFlooding affects low lying areas north of Lion Creek Road and adjacent to the river.
- 6.5 ftFlooding affects low lying areas adjacent to the river.
Highest crests on record
- 7.34 ft — June 20, 1974
- 7.27 ft — May 18, 1997
- 7.12 ft — May 24, 1948
- 7 ft — June 18, 1933
- 6.98 ft — June 10, 1964
Recent crests: 5.76 ft (June 2, 2026) · 6.61 ft (June 22, 2022) · 6.19 ft (May 27, 2021) · 6.07 ft (June 2, 2020) · 6.27 ft (May 29, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Flathead River at Foys Bend near Kalispell, MT
- South Fork Flathead River above Twin Creek near Hungry Horse, MT
- Stillwater River at Lawrence Park at Kalispell, MT
- South Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls, MT
- Whitefish River near Kalispell, MT
- Flathead River at Columbia Falls, MT
- Flathead River near Polson, MT
- Middle Fork Flathead River near West Glacier, MT
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (SWRM8); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.