Missouri River — Craig & Cascade
The first place to check before you head to the river. Live flow, water temperature, and weather for the upper Missouri — pulled directly from USGS and the National Weather Service.
Today on the water
Excellent
Get in the car.
5-Day Weather — Craig, MT
weather.govMonday
83°F
Mostly Sunny
WSW 2 to 6 mph
Tuesday
86°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 10 to 23 mph
Wednesday
73°F
Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
NW 1 to 8 mph
Thursday
78°F
Sunny
SW 0 to 6 mph
Juneteenth
79°F
Mostly Sunny
N 0 to 8 mph
Gauge Stations
Live data refreshed every 30 minutes. Tap any chart for hourly readings.
Missouri River near Ulm, MT
Downstream of Cascade — useful for tracking how flows roll through the lower fishing reach.
Get in the car.
Latest reading Jun 15, 8:45 AM
14-day flow
cubic feet per second14-day water temperature
°CToday's read
- Flows are in the sweet spot (3,060 cfs) — wadeable, fishable, and predictable.
- Water temp 57°F — peak metabolism for trout. Bugs are moving, fish are moving.
Missouri River at Toston, MT
Upstream of the reservoir chain — sets the stage for what reaches Holter Dam in the days ahead.
Solid day on the water.
Latest reading Jun 15, 8:00 AM
14-day flow
cubic feet per second14-day water temperature
°CToday's read
- Flows are in the sweet spot (3,570 cfs) — wadeable, fishable, and predictable.
- Water temp 62°F — fish hard early, give them a rest in the heat of the day.
Smith River near Eden, MT
Smith River below the canyon — UMOWA monitors macroinvertebrate health here.
Fishable, but pick your windows.
Latest reading Jun 15, 8:15 AM
14-day flow
cubic feet per second14-day water temperature
°CToday's read
- Very low flows (212 cfs). Fish are spooky — fish early, light tippet, longer leaders.
- Water temp 56°F — peak metabolism for trout. Bugs are moving, fish are moving.
How we read the river
Fishing condition ratings combine real-time flow and water temperature from USGS gauges with published thresholds for the Missouri River tailwater fishery. Excellent conditions cluster between 3,000–5,500 cfs and water temperatures of 48–58°F. Always check current angler reports, local guides, and on-the-water observations before making the call.
Data sources: USGS Water Services · NWS Forecast API.
Help us keep watching the river.
UMOWA's water quality, macroinvertebrate, and aquatic plant monitoring is what makes long-term river health visible. Your support funds the science behind every cfs reading on this page.