When does Milk River at Malta, MT normally run highest?

April, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 408.9 cfs, against 67.9 cfs in September, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.

What is a normal flow for Milk River at Malta, MT?

It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 69.9 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 5 and 198.2 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.

How long has Milk River at Malta, MT been measured?

Discharge records at USGS site 06155500 begin in 1902, about 124 years, covering roughly 5,057 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.

Is there a flow forecast for Milk River at Malta, 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 Milk River at Malta, MT?

The gauge sits at 48.36219, -107.87637, in Montana, in hydrologic subbasin 10050004, at an elevation of about 2,246 feet, draining roughly 11,654 square miles.

Can I use Milk River at Malta, 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.

USGS Streamgage 06155500

Milk River at Malta, MT

Milk River at Malta, MT is USGS streamgage 06155500 in Montana, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10050004. It sits on the Milk River, alongside 8 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 11,654 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1902. Typical flow runs near 136.5 cfs in July and 408.9 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: 11,654 sq mi
Gauge elevation: 2,246 ft
Subbasin (HUC-8): 10050004
Coordinates: 48.36219, -107.87637
USGS site number: 06155500
Records begin: 1902-08-01 (124 years)
Rivermatics forecast: 14-day flow outlook

14-day flow forecast

Based on observations through September 10 for Milk River at Malta, 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.

Forecast daily mean discharge in cubic feet per second, by date
Date	Low p10	Expected p50	High p90
September 11	30.6	36.4	42.2
September 12	25.9	35.6	51
September 13	22	33.3	61.8
September 14	19.8	33.6	74.2
September 15	17.9	33.8	93.5
September 16	17.9	36.7	98.4
September 17	15.6	35.8	114
September 18	14.7	37.8	135
September 19	12.7	37.8	126
September 20	12.1	40.5	139
September 21	7.9	35.7	111
September 22	8.2	36.3	122
September 23	9.3	37.8	129
September 24	9.4	38.9	132

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 124 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.

Historical monthly discharge percentiles in cubic feet per second
Month	Low p10	Typical p50	High p90
January	5	69.9	198.2
February	5	78.1	535.8
March	24.9	239.3	1,919.4
April	15.9	408.9	5,659.3
May	27.3	223.5	1,834.5
June	28.2	188.2	1,634
July	15.3	136.5	782.9
August	10.8	88.7	422.7
September	0	67.9	437.5
October	3.4	116.8	381.1
November	7.1	118.6	237.8
December	10	93.7	181.4

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).

Common questions

When does Milk River at Malta, MT normally run highest?: April, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 408.9 cfs, against 67.9 cfs in September, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
What is a normal flow for Milk River at Malta, MT?: It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 69.9 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 5 and 198.2 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
How long has Milk River at Malta, MT been measured?: Discharge records at USGS site 06155500 begin in 1902, about 124 years, covering roughly 5,057 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
Is there a flow forecast for Milk River at Malta, 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 Milk River at Malta, MT?: The gauge sits at 48.36219, -107.87637, in Montana, in hydrologic subbasin 10050004, at an elevation of about 2,246 feet, draining roughly 11,654 square miles.
Can I use Milk River at Malta, 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 Milk River

Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Milk River in full.

Milk River at Eastern Crossing of Int Bndry 2,452 sq mi
Milk River at Havre, MT 5,655 sq mi
Milk River at Merrill Rd, near Harlem, MT 8,925 sq mi
Milk River near Harlem, MT 9,652 sq mi
Milk River near Dodson, MT 11,134 sq mi
Milk River at Malta, MT this page
Milk River at Juneberg Bridge near Saco, MT 17,691 sq mi
Milk River at Tampico, MT 21,341 sq mi
Milk River at Nashua, MT 22,452 sq mi