USGS Streamgage 12350250
Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT
Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT is USGS streamgage 12350250 in Montana, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 17010205. It sits on the Bitterroot River, alongside 2 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 1,944 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1987. Typical flow runs near 934.5 cfs in July and 1,686.8 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- Montana
- Drainage area
- 1,944 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 3,327 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 17010205
- Coordinates
- 46.4432, -114.12377
- USGS site number
- 12350250
- Records begin
- 1987-04-01 (39 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 529 | 571 | 616 | ||
| 482 | 539 | 594 | ||
| 447 | 510 | 576 | ||
| 413 | 478 | 547 | ||
| 386 | 450 | 517 | ||
| 368 | 438 | 522 | ||
| 364 | 436 | 517 | ||
| 347 | 419 | 502 | ||
| 333 | 407 | 492 | ||
| 325 | 401 | 490 | ||
| 317 | 396 | 490 | ||
| 309 | 388 | 484 | ||
| 302 | 382 | 482 | ||
| 291 | 371 | 472 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 38 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | 479.9 | — | |
| February | — | 450.5 | — | |
| March | 400.2 | 711.5 | 2,238.1 | |
| April | 593.3 | 1,686.8 | 3,716 | |
| May | 1,869.8 | 4,331.6 | 9,251.3 | |
| June | 1,861.6 | 5,163 | 9,463 | |
| July | 340.6 | 934.5 | 2,774.9 | |
| August | 193.5 | 341.9 | 639.9 | |
| September | 217.3 | 368.5 | 597.7 | |
| October | 289.4 | 440 | 948.2 | |
| November | — | 865.5 | — | |
| December | — | 780.9 | — |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 5,163 cfs, against 341.9 cfs in August, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT?
- It depends on the month. In March, half of days historically fall near 711.5 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 400.2 and 2,238.1 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 12350250 begin in 1987, about 39 years, covering roughly 5,178 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT?
- The gauge sits at 46.4432, -114.12377, in Montana, in hydrologic subbasin 17010205, at an elevation of about 3,327 feet, draining roughly 1,944 square miles.
- Can I use Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.
Upstream and downstream on the Bitterroot River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Bitterroot River in full.
- Bitterroot River near Darby, MT 1,050 sq mi
- Bitterroot River at Bell Crossing near Victor, MT this page
- Bitterroot River near Missoula, MT 2,824 sq mi