River Conditions
Illustrated map of Flathead Lake

River stage

Fort Benton, Missouri River

River level
2.09 ft
Status
Below flood stage
7-day change
+0.08 ft
Recent high
3.41 ft
Recent low
1.83 ft

Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS FBNM8

30-day change
-0.03 ft
Average
2.12 ft
Readings
122
Data span
122 days
Record crest
18.50 ft

In brief

The Missouri River at Fort Benton, MT read 2.09 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 10.91 ft below action stage. That is 0.03 ft lower than 30 days earlier.

Source: National Weather Service gauge FBNM8

River level timeline

1.41.72.02.42.7SEP 13SEP 18SEP 23SEP 28OCT 03OCT 08OCT 13HIGH 2.16LOW 1.941.94 ftLAST READING

Stage threshold profile

Action stage 13.00 ftMinor flooding 13.50 ftModerate flooding 15.00 ftMajor flooding 17.00 ft CURRENT 2.09 ft

Highest crests on record

RankCrestDate
1 18.50 ft 1908-06-06
2 16.39 ft 1996-02-09
3 14.37 ft 1968-01-12
4 14.14 ft 1973-01-11
5 14.00 ft 1974-01-15
6 13.64 ft 1984-01-30
7 13.57 ft 1953-06-05
8 13.53 ft 1970-01-18

Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.

What happens at each level

  1. 10.00 ft

    Right bank bankfull with overflow into willows.

  2. 13.00 ft

    Minor flooding of sidewalk along left bank of river.

  3. 13.50 ft

    Front Street floods.

  4. 18.50 ft

    Inundation of Main, Franklin, and Washington Streets and all thoroughfares in between these and river.

Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Missouri River flooding at Fort Benton?

No. The Missouri River at Fort Benton is at 2.09 ft, 10.91 ft below action stage.

What is the flood stage at Fort Benton?

The National Weather Service sets action stage 13 ft, minor flooding 13.5 ft, moderate flooding 15 ft and major flooding 17 ft.

What is the highest the Missouri River has been at Fort Benton?

The highest crest on record is 18.5 ft, on 1908-06-06.

Is the Missouri River high or low right now at Fort Benton?

At 2.09 ft it is higher than 56% of readings over the last 122 days.

Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge FBNM8); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 06090800). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.