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Missouri River near Wolf Point

Highest listed crest 25.64 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft28 crests since 1932

The Missouri River near Wolf Point crested above flood stage 9 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1932 to 2019. The highest, 25.64 ft on March 27, 1960, was minor flooding, 2.64 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Missouri River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.64 ft
March 27, 1960
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.5 ft
Crests at major
0
9 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 29, 2019
23.70 ft, minor flooding
Location
McCone 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 near Wolf Point
Action stage21.09Feb 27, 1996The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.09Mar 29, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.50—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1932 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Missouri River near Wolf Point, 1932 to 2019 2022242628ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 27.5 ft May 23, 1932: 24.82 ft, minor flooding; 41,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1933: 22.30 ft, action stageJun 15, 1934: 21.30 ft, action stage; 32,300 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1936: 24.64 ft, minor flooding; 31,300 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1938: 23.00 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 1939: 24.40 ft, minor flooding; 66,800 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1943: 24.25 ft, minor floodingJan 4, 1945: 21.81 ft, action stageApr 2, 1947: 20.81 ft, below flood stageOct 1, 1948: 20.24 ft, below flood stage; 29,100 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1950: 20.71 ft, below flood stageApr 7, 1952: 24.91 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1959: 21.76 ft, action stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1960: 25.64 ft, minor floodingJan 15, 1967: 21.25 ft, action stageMar 16, 1968: 20.46 ft, below flood stage; 17,000 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1968: 20.51 ft, below flood stageFeb 3, 1971: 20.85 ft, below flood stageMar 15, 1972: 20.80 ft, below flood stageJul 12, 1975: 20.91 ft, below flood stage; 38,800 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1976: 21.88 ft, action stageDec 21, 1978: 22.98 ft, action stageJan 18, 1983: 22.22 ft, action stageFeb 27, 1986: 20.87 ft, below flood stageDec 17, 1989: 20.29 ft, below flood stageFeb 27, 1996: 21.32 ft, action stageJun 14, 2011: 24.77 ft, minor flooding; 93,200 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2019: 23.70 ft, minor flooding; 83,829 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.64 ft, Mar 27, 1960 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Missouri River near Wolf Point 1930s: 4 4 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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

Highest listed crests, Missouri River near Wolf Point
1Mar 27, 196025.64+2.64Minor—
2Apr 7, 195224.91+1.91Minor—
3May 23, 193224.82+1.82Minor41,000
4Jun 14, 201124.77+1.77Minor93,200
5Mar 11, 193624.64+1.64Minor31,300
6Mar 25, 193924.40+1.40Minor66,800
7Mar 29, 194324.25+1.25Minor—
8Mar 29, 201923.70+0.70Minor83,829
9Mar 12, 193823.000.00Minor—
10Dec 21, 197822.98−0.02Action—
11Mar 25, 193322.30−0.70Action—
12Jan 18, 198322.22−0.78Action—
13Mar 7, 197621.88−1.12Action—
14Jan 4, 194521.81−1.19Action—
15Mar 26, 195921.76−1.24Action2,300
16Feb 27, 199621.32−1.68Action—
17Jun 15, 193421.30−1.70Action32,300
18Jan 15, 196721.25−1.75Action—
19Jul 12, 197520.91−2.09Below flood stage38,800
20Feb 27, 198620.87−2.13Below flood stage—
21Feb 3, 197120.85−2.15Below flood stage—
22Apr 2, 194720.81−2.19Below flood stage—
23Mar 15, 197220.80−2.20Below flood stage—
24Apr 16, 195020.71−2.29Below flood stage—
25Dec 23, 196820.51−2.49Below flood stage—
26Mar 16, 196820.46−2.54Below flood stage17,000
27Dec 17, 198920.29−2.71Below flood stage—
28Oct 1, 194820.24−2.76Below flood stage29,100

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.

March 27, 1960: 25.64 ft here, minor flooding

June 14, 2011: 24.77 ft here, minor flooding

  • WillistonND · Jun 21, 2011 · 30.38 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Missouri River

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

Flood gauges on the Missouri River
Wolf Point this gaugeMT23.025.64 ft, Mar 27, 19600
CulbertsonMT19.019.66 ft, Apr 14, 19790
WillistonND22.030.38 ft, Jun 21, 20116

Other gauges in McCone County

Flood gauges in McCone County
Circle11.018.50 ft, Jun 17, 19440

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WPTM8, 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.