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Missouri River at Virgelle

Highest listed crest 25.40 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft90 crests since 1908

The Missouri River at Virgelle crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 90 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1908 to 2012. The highest, 25.40 ft on June 1, 1908, was major flooding, 8.40 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Missouri River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.40 ft
June 1, 1908
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
1
28th of 93 gauges in Montana
Most recent flood crest
January 23, 1994
17.12 ft, minor flooding
Location
Chouteau County
Montana

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Missouri River at Virgelle
Action stage17.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.03Jan 23, 1994Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.02Mar 23, 1969Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.01Jun 1, 1908Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

90 crests from 1908 to 2012. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Missouri River at Virgelle, 1908 to 2012 0102030ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Jun 1, 1908: 25.40 ft, major floodingFeb 20, 1954: 11.56 ft, below flood stageMar 31, 1955: 11.13 ft, below flood stageJun 4, 1956: 9.87 ft, below flood stage; 31,600 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1957: 11.29 ft, below flood stageJun 15, 1958: 8.49 ft, below flood stage; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1959: 9.71 ft, below flood stage; 30,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1960: 11.66 ft, below flood stageJun 2, 1961: 5.59 ft, below flood stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1961: 11.18 ft, below flood stageFeb 7, 1963: 8.09 ft, below flood stageJun 10, 1964: 21.30 ft, moderate flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1965: 10.60 ft, below flood stage; 34,000 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1965: 7.54 ft, below flood stage; 19,800 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1966: 13.71 ft, below flood stageJan 20, 1967: 16.22 ft, below flood stageJun 20, 1967: 12.08 ft, below flood stage; 43,200 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1967: 14.13 ft, below flood stageJun 13, 1968: 8.90 ft, below flood stage; 26,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1969: 20.68 ft, moderate floodingJun 29, 1969: 9.73 ft, below flood stage; 29,700 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1970: 9.70 ft, below flood stage; 29,600 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1970: 12.75 ft, below flood stageMay 15, 1971: 9.27 ft, below flood stage; 27,600 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1972: 11.31 ft, below flood stageJun 4, 1972: 9.22 ft, below flood stage; 27,400 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1972: 6.18 ft, below flood stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1972: 12.08 ft, below flood stageJan 18, 1974: 10.72 ft, below flood stageJun 21, 1974: 9.67 ft, below flood stage; 29,200 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1975: 16.62 ft, below flood stage; 70,600 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1976: 10.87 ft, below flood stageMay 16, 1976: 10.76 ft, below flood stage; 34,700 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1976: 5.33 ft, below flood stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1977: 13.44 ft, below flood stageMar 21, 1978: 17.10 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1978: 9.53 ft, below flood stage; 28,700 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1978: 14.69 ft, below flood stageMay 28, 1979: 7.86 ft, below flood stage; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1980: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 28,500 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1981: 13.93 ft, below flood stage; 52,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1982: 11.35 ft, below flood stageJul 2, 1982: 10.21 ft, below flood stage; 32,000 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1983: 8.41 ft, below flood stage; 23,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1984: 13.71 ft, below flood stageJun 25, 1984: 8.84 ft, below flood stage; 25,400 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1984: 11.37 ft, below flood stageMay 6, 1985: 5.38 ft, below flood stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1986: 18.40 ft, minor floodingJan 12, 1987: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1988: 9.48 ft, below flood stageMay 10, 1988: 4.63 ft, below flood stage; 9,020 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1989: 12.23 ft, below flood stageMay 13, 1989: 6.74 ft, below flood stage; 16,400 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1989: 14.05 ft, below flood stageJun 1, 1990: 6.76 ft, below flood stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1991: 9.03 ft, below flood stage; 26,300 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1992: 4.41 ft, below flood stage; 8,350 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1993: 8.33 ft, below flood stage; 23,700 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1994: 17.12 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 1994: 6.72 ft, below flood stage; 16,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1995: 10.33 ft, below flood stageJun 10, 1995: 9.81 ft, below flood stage; 30,000 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1996: 13.69 ft, below flood stageJun 16, 1996: 9.87 ft, below flood stage; 30,300 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1997: 12.26 ft, below flood stage; 42,700 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1998: 9.58 ft, below flood stage; 29,400 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1999: 7.74 ft, below flood stage; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2000: 4.29 ft, below flood stage; 8,290 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2000: 6.22 ft, below flood stageMay 1, 2001: 3.90 ft, below flood stage; 7,070 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2002: 10.52 ft, below flood stageJun 13, 2002: 7.37 ft, below flood stage; 19,200 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2003: 11.63 ft, below flood stageMay 31, 2003: 6.29 ft, below flood stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2004: 4.76 ft, below flood stageMay 29, 2004: 4.76 ft, below flood stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2005: 12.12 ft, below flood stageJun 5, 2005: 7.06 ft, below flood stage; 18,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2006: 9.31 ft, below flood stageJun 12, 2006: 7.98 ft, below flood stage; 21,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2007: 6.91 ft, below flood stageJun 9, 2007: 6.35 ft, below flood stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2008: 11.71 ft, below flood stageMay 28, 2008: 9.83 ft, below flood stage; 30,900 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2009: 7.63 ft, below flood stage; 20,100 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2010: 9.63 ft, below flood stage; 29,200 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2011: 14.07 ft, below flood stage; 53,700 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2012: 9.67 ft, below flood stageJun 8, 2012: 7.07 ft, below flood stage; 18,100 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.40 ft, Jun 1, 1908 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Missouri River at Virgelle 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 90 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Missouri River at Virgelle
1Jun 1, 190825.40+8.40Major—
2Jun 10, 196421.30+4.30Moderate105,000
3Mar 23, 196920.68+3.68Moderate—
4Feb 25, 198618.40+1.40Minor—
5Jan 23, 199417.12+0.12Minor—
6Mar 21, 197817.10+0.10Minor—
7Jun 22, 197516.62−0.38Below flood stage70,600
8Jan 20, 196716.22−0.78Below flood stage—
9Dec 22, 197814.69−2.31Below flood stage—
10Dec 28, 196714.13−2.87Below flood stage—
11Jun 12, 201114.07−2.93Below flood stage53,700
12Dec 26, 198914.05−2.95Below flood stage—
13May 24, 198113.93−3.07Below flood stage52,800
14Mar 15, 196613.71−3.29Below flood stage—
15Feb 2, 198413.71−3.29Below flood stage—
16Mar 10, 199613.69−3.31Below flood stage—
17Jan 14, 197713.44−3.56Below flood stage—
18Dec 29, 197012.75−4.25Below flood stage—
19Jun 16, 199712.26−4.74Below flood stage42,700
20Mar 13, 198912.23−4.77Below flood stage—
21Jan 26, 200512.12−4.88Below flood stage—
22Jun 20, 196712.08−4.92Below flood stage43,200
23Dec 21, 197212.08−4.92Below flood stage—
24Jan 11, 200811.71−5.29Below flood stage—
25Feb 25, 196011.66−5.34Below flood stage—
26Mar 15, 200311.63−5.37Below flood stage—
27Feb 20, 195411.56−5.44Below flood stage—
28Dec 21, 198411.37−5.63Below flood stage—
29Feb 17, 198211.35−5.65Below flood stage—
30Jan 2, 197211.31−5.69Below flood stage—
31Jan 19, 195711.29−5.71Below flood stage—
32Dec 24, 196111.18−5.82Below flood stage—
33Mar 31, 195511.13−5.87Below flood stage—
34Jan 18, 197610.87−6.13Below flood stage—
35May 16, 197610.76−6.24Below flood stage34,700
36Jan 18, 197410.72−6.28Below flood stage—
37Jun 27, 196510.60−6.40Below flood stage34,000
38Mar 12, 200210.52−6.48Below flood stage—
39Feb 19, 199510.33−6.67Below flood stage—
40Jul 2, 198210.21−6.79Below flood stage32,000
41Jun 4, 19569.87−7.13Below flood stage31,600
42Jun 16, 19969.87−7.13Below flood stage30,300
43May 28, 20089.83−7.17Below flood stage30,900
44Jun 10, 19959.81−7.19Below flood stage30,000
45Jun 29, 19699.73−7.27Below flood stage29,700
46Jun 20, 19599.71−7.29Below flood stage30,600
47Jun 7, 19709.70−7.30Below flood stage29,600
48Jun 21, 19749.67−7.33Below flood stage29,200
49Jan 25, 20129.67−7.33Below flood stage—
50Jun 19, 20109.63−7.37Below flood stage29,200

The worst floods along the Missouri River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Missouri River that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 1, 1908: 25.40 ft here, major flooding

  • Fort BentonMT · Jun 6, 1908 · 18.50 ft · Major · its highest

February 25, 1986: 18.40 ft here, minor flooding

  • LanduskyMT · Feb 26, 1986 · 28.54 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Missouri River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Missouri River
UlmMT13.517.00 ft, Jun 1, 19531
Fort BentonMT13.518.50 ft, Jun 6, 19081
Virgelle this gaugeMT17.025.40 ft, Jun 1, 19081
LanduskyMT27.034.17 ft, Mar 25, 19781

Other gauges in Chouteau County

Flood gauges in Chouteau County
Fort Benton13.518.50 ft, Jun 6, 19081

Chouteau County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Montana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VRGM8, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.