River Report

Missouri River river

25 streamgauges 104% of normal Last updated 2026-05-24
Aggregate flow
1,243,520cfs
% of normal
104%
Daily volume
2,466,492AF
Seasonal avg
1,196,555cfs

Total streamflow across the Missouri River was last observed at 1,243,520 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 2,466,492 acre-ft of water today; about 104% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,196,555 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-05-31 when daily discharge volume was observed at 3,557,200 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Missouri River At St. Charles reporting a streamflow rate of 213,000 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Missouri River, with a gauge stage of 23.53 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 25 different streamgauging stations along the Missouri River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 3,911 ft, the Missouri River At Toston Mt.

Max discharge

Missouri River At St. Charles

213,000cfs
Highest stage

Missouri River At St. Charles

23.53ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Missouri River At Toston Mt

3,911ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Missouri River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Missouri River

All 25 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.

Streamgauge Streamflow (cfs) Gauge stage (ft) 24h Δ (%) % Normal Min (cfs) Max (cfs) Elevation (ft)
Missouri River At Toston Mt MT
USGS 06054500
3,400 4.16 -3.1 34% 1,100 29,200 3,911
Missouri River Bl Hauser Lake Nr Helena Mt MT
USGS 06065500
3,330 3.33 -0.6 58% 2,590 22,900 3,588
Missouri River Bl Holter Dam Nr Wolf Cr Mt MT
USGS 06066500
3,350 2.36 0.6 59% 2,380 23,100 3,465
Missouri River At Cascade Mt MT
USGS 06074000
3,770 6.69 0.5 53% 2,380 22,500 3,345
Missouri River Near Ulm Mt MT
USGS 06078200
3,980 3.44 0.3 48% 2,790 28,700 3,316
Missouri River Near Great Falls Mt MT
USGS 06090300
5,190 3.27 0.0 48% 2,010 38,300 3,029
Missouri River At Fort Benton Mt MT
USGS 06090800
5,590 2.28 -4.6 50% 2,540 51,400 2,621
Missouri River At Virgelle Mt MT
USGS 06109500
6,250 3.55 -2.2 47% 2,780 53,100 2,518
Missouri River Near Landusky Mt MT
USGS 06115200
7,240 14.11 -1.6 60% 4,220 72,500 2,247
Missouri River Near Wolf Point Mt MT
USGS 06177000
6,880 10.64 6.7 73% 3,870 90,700 1,968
Missouri River Near Culbertson Mt MT
USGS 06185500
6,320 2.79 -0.8 65% 4,300 100,000 1,889
Missouri River At Bismarck ND
USGS 06342500
19,200 5.36 1.6 76% 12,200 153,000 1,623
Missouri River At Sioux City NE
USGS 06486000
27,500 11.11 -3.2 86% 8,640 191,000 1,089
Missouri River At Decatur NE
USGS 06601200
29,200 20.04 -1.0 90% 8,330 164,000 1,030
Missouri River At Omaha NE
USGS 06610000
35,600 15.35 6.0 94% 7,100 214,000 959
Missouri River At Nebraska City NE
USGS 06807000
37,200 9.41 0.8 84% 7,450 415,000 914
Missouri River At Rulo NE
USGS 06813500
38,300 8.72 -3.0 80% 7,800 299,000 859
Missouri River At St. Joseph MO
USGS 06818000
49,000 8.88 0.8 96% 10,700 305,000 810
Missouri River At Kansas City MO
USGS 06893000
66,600 14.10 -7.1 87% 13,000 304,000 728
Missouri River At Waverly MO
USGS 06895500
72,300 15.42 -6.0 89% 12,400 372,000 656
Missouri River At Glasgow MO
USGS 06906500
121,000 21.52 -11.0 137% 14,200 353,000 599
Missouri River At Boonville MO
USGS 06909000
136,000 18.24 -9.9 154% 13,600 422,000 567
Missouri River At Jefferson City MO
USGS 06910450
155,000 18.21 -10.4 150% 16,300 394,000 536
Missouri River At Hermann MO
USGS 06934500
195,000 19.84 -7.6 154% 20,900 525,000 491
Missouri River At St. Charles MO
USGS 06935965
213,000 23.53 -6.6 147% 25,000 441,000 426
Annual peaks

Maximum streamflow discharge by year

The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.

Annual peak discharge

From the river's full record · one point per water year

Profile

Streamflow elevation profile

Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.

Elevation vs streamflow

One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage

About this river

Missouri River

The Missouri River is the longest river in North America, stretching over 2,341 miles from Montana to Missouri. It has been an integral part of American history, serving as a major transportation route for fur traders, pioneers, and explorers. The river's hydrology has been significantly altered by the construction of various reservoirs and dams, including the Garrison Dam, Oahe Dam, and Fort Peck Dam. These dams have helped with flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation. The Missouri River also holds significant recreational and agricultural value, with many communities relying on it for fishing, boating, and irrigation. The river and its tributaries provide habitat for a variety of fish species, including catfish, bass, and walleye. The Missouri River remains an important part of American history and continues to play a vital role in the lives of many communities today.

Track the Missouri River in the Snoflo app

Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.

FAQ

About the Missouri River

Where does the data for the Missouri River come from?

Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.

How is "percent of normal" calculated?

Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).

Why are some gauges showing very different flows?

Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.

What's the elevation profile chart showing?

Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.

Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?

Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.