Rivers in Montana

Whitefish River near Kalispell

Flathead County, MontanaNWS WHRM8USGS 12366000Missoula office

Below flood stage
1.64ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 22, 10:45 AM MDT

Flood stage
5.40 ft
Forecast crest
1.64 ftTue, Sep 22, 12:00 PM MDT
Record crest
4.95 ft2022

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Minor flood5.40 ft
Action5.00 ft
  1. 5.60 ftBank erosion downstream of the town of Whitefish threatens homes along the river bank.
  2. 5.40 ftWater from the Whitefish River begins flooding homeowners yards and driveways along River Road in Kalispell.

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 22, 2026.

Crest history

15 crests on NOAA’s list since 1932.

#DateStage
1June 15, 20224.95 ft
2June 9, 19644.68 ft
3June 6, 19974.46 ft
4June 26, 19504.45 ft
5June 12, 19964.43 ft
6May 22, 19914.42 ft
7May 30, 19484.41 ft
8June 4, 19904.27 ft
9June 3, 19324.26 ft
10May 12, 19474.17 ft
11June 2, 20204.13 ft
12June 18, 19334.01 ft
13June 21, 19954.00 ft
14May 27, 20213.62 ft
15May 18, 20253.27 ft

Most recent crests

  • May 18, 2025: 3.27 ft
  • June 15, 2022: 4.95 ft
  • May 27, 2021: 3.62 ft
  • June 2, 2020: 4.13 ft
  • June 6, 1997: 4.46 ft
  • June 12, 1996: 4.43 ft
  • June 21, 1995: 4.00 ft
  • May 22, 1991: 4.42 ft
  • June 4, 1990: 4.27 ft
  • June 9, 1964: 4.68 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.