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North Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls

Highest listed crest 18.60 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft13 crests since 1954

The North Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls crested above flood stage 2 times among the 13 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1954 to 2025. The highest, 18.60 ft on June 9, 1964, was moderate flooding, 5.60 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.60 ft
June 9, 1964; 69,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 7, 1995
17.03 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Flathead County
Montana

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls
Action stage12.51Jun 18, 1974The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.02Jun 7, 1995Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

13 crests from 1954 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls, 1954 to 2025 5101520ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft May 21, 1954: 12.25 ft, below flood stage; 31,500 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1964: 18.60 ft, moderate flooding; 69,100 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1972: 12.00 ft, below flood stage; 31,400 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1974: 12.58 ft, action stage; 34,300 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1975: 11.98 ft, below flood stage; 30,700 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1995: 17.03 ft, moderate flooding; 59,300 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1997: 11.90 ft, below flood stageMay 9, 2018: 10.21 ft, below flood stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2020: 10.55 ft, below flood stage; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2021: 8.46 ft, below flood stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2022: 10.16 ft, below flood stage; 22,700 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2025: 7.46 ft, below flood stage; 12,700 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2025: 6.48 ft, below flood stage; 9,710 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.60 ft, Jun 9, 1964 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, North Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls
1Jun 9, 196418.60+5.60Moderate69,100
2Jun 7, 199517.03+4.03Moderate59,300
3Jun 18, 197412.58−0.42Action34,300
4May 21, 195412.25−0.75Below flood stage31,500
5Jun 2, 197212.00−1.00Below flood stage31,400
6Jun 21, 197511.98−1.02Below flood stage30,700
7May 18, 199711.90−1.10Below flood stage—
8Jun 1, 202010.55−2.45Below flood stage24,400
9May 9, 201810.21−2.79Below flood stage22,500
10Jun 12, 202210.16−2.84Below flood stage22,700
11Jun 4, 20218.46−4.54Below flood stage16,100
12May 13, 20257.46−5.54Below flood stage12,700
13Dec 12, 20256.48−6.52Below flood stage9,710

Gauges on the North Fork Flathead River

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

Flood gauges on the North Fork Flathead River
Canadian BorderMT10.510.62 ft, Jun 17, 19740
Columbia Falls this gaugeMT13.018.60 ft, Jun 9, 19640

Other gauges in Flathead County

Flood gauges in Flathead County
Columbia Falls13.025.58 ft, Jun 9, 19642
West Glacier10.036.46 ft, Jun 9, 19642
Canadian Border10.510.62 ft, Jun 17, 19740
Lawrence Park at Kalispell7.58.39 ft, May 19, 20110

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FCFM8, 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.