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Tongue River at Miles City

Highest listed crest 13.99 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft68 crests since 1946

The Tongue River at Miles City crested above flood stage 12 times among the 68 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2024. The highest, 13.99 ft on May 21, 2011, was moderate flooding, 3.99 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.99 ft
May 21, 2011; 15,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
0
12 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 21, 2019
10.59 ft, minor flooding
Location
Custer County
Montana

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Tongue River at Miles City
Flood stage (minor)10.010Mar 21, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.02May 21, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

68 crests from 1946 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tongue River at Miles City, 1946 to 2024 05101520ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jun 12, 1946: 4.94 ft, below flood stage; 3,140 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1948: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 7,470 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1949: 11.80 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1951: 4.55 ft, below flood stage; 2,680 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1953: 5.16 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1954: 4.92 ft, below flood stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1955: 5.53 ft, below flood stage; 3,810 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1958: 7.59 ft, below flood stage; 6,970 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1961: 2.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1962: 11.33 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1964: 7.76 ft, below flood stage; 5,540 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1965: 10.76 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1966: 3.59 ft, below flood stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1967: 9.45 ft, below flood stage; 7,990 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1968: 7.82 ft, below flood stage; 5,120 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1969: 10.55 ft, minor flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1970: 6.49 ft, below flood stage; 3,430 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1971: 13.27 ft, moderate flooding; 9,000 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1972: 8.66 ft, below flood stage; 6,430 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1973: 7.15 ft, below flood stage; 4,330 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1974: 4.66 ft, below flood stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1975: 10.40 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1976: 4.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1977: 4.54 ft, below flood stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1978: 10.18 ft, minor flooding; 8,650 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1980: 3.63 ft, below flood stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1982: 4.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,510 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1983: 4.54 ft, below flood stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1984: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 3,570 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1985: 3.68 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1986: 6.57 ft, below flood stage; 3,620 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1987: 5.04 ft, below flood stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1988: 4.31 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1989: 4.67 ft, below flood stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1990: 4.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,770 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1991: 6.67 ft, below flood stage; 3,610 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1992: 4.06 ft, below flood stage; 1,510 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1993: 9.07 ft, below flood stage; 6,530 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1994: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 9,100 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1995: 6.95 ft, below flood stage; 3,270 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1996: 6.28 ft, below flood stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1997: 7.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,080 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1998: 4.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1999: 6.90 ft, below flood stage; 3,330 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2000: 5.07 ft, below flood stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 2001: 4.65 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2002: 3.31 ft, below flood stage; 335 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2003: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 4,000 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2004: 5.07 ft, below flood stage; 500 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2005: 7.40 ft, below flood stage; 3,750 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2006: 6.39 ft, below flood stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2007: 10.97 ft, minor flooding; 8,520 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2008: 7.06 ft, below flood stage; 3,240 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2009: 5.57 ft, below flood stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2010: 9.66 ft, below flood stage; 6,190 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2011: 13.99 ft, moderate flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2012: 5.37 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2013: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 5,050 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2014: 8.02 ft, below flood stage; 3,740 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2015: 7.68 ft, below flood stage; 3,370 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2016: 4.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2017: 6.75 ft, below flood stage; 2,620 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2019: 10.59 ft, minor flooding; 7,470 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2020: 4.67 ft, below flood stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2021: 4.03 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2022: 6.88 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2023: 7.72 ft, below flood stage; 3,480 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2024: 7.30 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.99 ft, May 21, 2011 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tongue River at Miles City 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 2 2020s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 68 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Tongue River at Miles City
1May 21, 201113.99+3.99Moderate15,300
2Feb 15, 197113.27+3.27Moderate9,000
3Mar 4, 199412.10+2.10Minor9,100
4Mar 6, 194911.80+1.80Minor12,000
5Jun 15, 196211.33+1.33Minor13,300
6Jun 8, 200710.97+0.97Minor8,520
7Apr 4, 196510.76+0.76Minor10,400
8Mar 21, 201910.59+0.59Minor7,470
9Mar 18, 196910.55+0.55Minor10,000
10May 7, 197510.40+0.40Minor10,200
11May 23, 197810.18+0.18Minor8,650
12Mar 15, 200310.000.00Minor4,000
13May 25, 20109.66−0.34Below flood stage6,190
14Jun 14, 19679.45−0.55Below flood stage7,990
15Jul 4, 19939.07−0.93Below flood stage6,530
16May 31, 20138.87−1.13Below flood stage5,050
17Oct 3, 19728.66−1.34Below flood stage6,430
18Jun 18, 20148.02−1.98Below flood stage3,740
19Jun 5, 19487.92−2.08Below flood stage7,470
20Aug 24, 19687.82−2.18Below flood stage5,120
21Jun 19, 19647.76−2.24Below flood stage5,540
22Jun 20, 20237.72−2.28Below flood stage3,480
23Jun 7, 20157.68−2.32Below flood stage3,370
24Jul 3, 19587.59−2.41Below flood stage6,970
25Jun 9, 20057.40−2.60Below flood stage3,750
26May 8, 20247.30−2.70Below flood stage3,100
27Jun 19, 19737.15−2.85Below flood stage4,330
28Jun 27, 20087.06−2.94Below flood stage3,240
29Jun 19, 19977.00−3.00Below flood stage3,080
30May 14, 19956.95−3.05Below flood stage3,270
31Jun 14, 19996.90−3.10Below flood stage3,330
32Jul 4, 20226.88−3.12Below flood stage2,800
33May 22, 20176.75−3.25Below flood stage2,620
34Sep 15, 19916.67−3.33Below flood stage3,610
35Sep 25, 19866.57−3.43Below flood stage3,620
36Jun 16, 19846.52−3.48Below flood stage3,570
37Jun 1, 19706.49−3.51Below flood stage3,430
38May 24, 20066.39−3.61Below flood stage2,630
39Jun 1, 19966.28−3.72Below flood stage2,530
40Jun 16, 20095.57−4.43Below flood stage1,900
41May 4, 19555.53−4.47Below flood stage3,810
42Mar 7, 20125.37−4.63Below flood stage1,200
43Jun 20, 19535.16−4.84Below flood stage3,100
44Jun 4, 20005.07−4.93Below flood stage1,470
45Mar 10, 20045.07−4.93Below flood stage500
46Aug 14, 19875.04−4.96Below flood stage2,180
47Jun 12, 19464.94−5.06Below flood stage3,140
48Aug 17, 19544.92−5.08Below flood stage2,780
49Mar 27, 19894.67−5.33Below flood stage1,900
50Mar 1, 20204.67−5.33Below flood stage1,300

Gauges on the Tongue River

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

Flood gauges on the Tongue River
Birney Day School near BirneyMT7.09.49 ft, May 31, 20190
Miles City this gaugeMT10.013.99 ft, May 21, 20110

Other gauges in Custer County

Flood gauges in Custer County
Miles City14.021.70 ft, Mar 20, 19440

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MICM8, 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.