Rivers in Montana

Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor

Ravalli County, MontanaNWS VICM8USGS 12350250Missoula office

Below flood stage
4.63ftStage

Observed Mon, Sep 28, 1:30 AM MDT

Flood stage
11.50 ft
Forecast crest
4.62 ftTue, Sep 29, 12:00 AM MDT
Record crest
11.40 ft2022

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Minor flood11.50 ft
Action11.00 ft
  1. 12.00 ftCounty roads will experience flooding from Hamilton to Florence.
  2. 11.50 ftMinor flooding to low lying areas adjacent to the river from Hamilton to Florence may occur.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate flooding-99900%
Major flooding-99900%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 27, 2026.

Crest history

14 crests on NOAA’s list since 1989.

#DateStage
1June 12, 202211.40 ft
2June 5, 202110.93 ft
3May 31, 200310.82 ft
4May 18, 199710.67 ft
5June 8, 201110.67 ft
6June 1, 202010.63 ft
7May 10, 201810.44 ft
8May 17, 201910.24 ft
9June 9, 199610.07 ft
10May 24, 201410.00 ft
11May 30, 20259.92 ft
12June 4, 19959.29 ft
13June 6, 19919.23 ft
14June 16, 19899.18 ft

Most recent crests

  • May 30, 2025: 9.92 ft
  • June 12, 2022: 11.40 ft
  • June 5, 2021: 10.93 ft
  • June 1, 2020: 10.63 ft
  • May 17, 2019: 10.24 ft
  • May 10, 2018: 10.44 ft
  • May 24, 2014: 10.00 ft
  • June 8, 2011: 10.67 ft
  • May 31, 2003: 10.82 ft
  • May 18, 1997: 10.67 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the Northwest River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round.

Sources

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.