freestone river · trout · whitefish

Flathead River (Columbia Falls)

Live conditions for Flathead River (Columbia Falls): the gauge, the water temperature, the trend, and what the water is doing today — read the way a guide reads it.

Right now

4,440cfs→ lowfishable

Inside the wade band, stable low · -0.4% over the last 6 hours.

Water temp58.3°F

Stage4.28 ft

Gauge read 12:45 AM CDT · USGS 12363000. Readings refresh every few minutes.

The water

Flathead River (Columbia Falls) is a freestone river in Whitefish, fished for trout, whitefish — cutthroat, rainbow, bull. On free-flowing water the trajectory is the story: falling and clearing after a bump is the window, rising water pushes fish to the banks and brings colour.

troutwhitefishcutthroat troutrainbow troutbull trout

Wade and float bands in cfs, the safety notes and the 14-day trend are on the signed-in river page.

Access

Access points for this water are being mapped.

The briefing

Know before you drive to Flathead River.

Every morning OUTFISH reads this gauge, the dam schedule, the water temperature, the sky and the tips library, and writes one plain-language call for the waters you track: go or stay home, wade or float, when to be on the water, where to put in, what to tie on — with directions.

Start free — 7 days of Guide

Signed in: the wade and float bands, the full hatch calendar, safety notes, the 14-day trend, shop reports and today's briefing for this water.

This month

Active in September:

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The full calendar by month, with notes, is on the signed-in river page.

Verify it yourself

The same sources the engine reads, straight from the agency:

USGS gauge ↗

More water in Whitefish

Kootenai River (below Libby Dam)