USGS Streamgage 12323600
Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, MT
Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, MT is USGS streamgage 12323600 in Montana, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 17010201. It sits on the Silver Bow Creek, alongside 3 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 343 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1988. Typical flow runs near 33 cfs in July and 65.4 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, alongside daily high and low water-temperature forecasts.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- Montana
- Drainage area
- 343 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 4,926 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 17010201
- Coordinates
- 46.10776, -112.80528
- USGS site number
- 12323600
- Records begin
- 1988-07-01 (38 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook + water temperature
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.1 | 19.9 | 21.9 | ||
| 17 | 19.5 | 22.2 | ||
| 16.2 | 19 | 22.1 | ||
| 15.8 | 19.1 | 22.8 | ||
| 15.3 | 18.8 | 22.9 | ||
| 15.2 | 19.3 | 24.2 | ||
| 15.3 | 19.8 | 24.9 | ||
| 15.3 | 20.1 | 25.9 | ||
| 14.6 | 19.4 | 24.9 | ||
| 13.9 | 18.6 | 24.3 | ||
| 13.7 | 18.7 | 24.6 | ||
| 13.7 | 19 | 25.2 | ||
| 13.5 | 19 | 25.8 | ||
| 13.1 | 18.7 | 25.8 |
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 | 22.6 | 32 | 48 | |
| February | 24.3 | 34 | 53.4 | |
| March | 30.7 | 47 | 86.3 | |
| April | 39.8 | 65.4 | 113 | |
| May | 43.4 | 93.8 | 212.9 | |
| June | 35.7 | 82.6 | 243.6 | |
| July | 17.4 | 33 | 99.2 | |
| August | 12.3 | 21.2 | 50.6 | |
| September | 18.1 | 28.5 | 48.4 | |
| October | 23.2 | 37.4 | 53.4 | |
| November | 24.5 | 37.6 | 53.6 | |
| December | 22.6 | 32.9 | 47.8 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, MT normally run highest?
- May, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 93.8 cfs, against 21.2 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 Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, MT?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 32 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 22.6 and 48 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, MT been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 12323600 begin in 1988, about 38 years, covering roughly 9,200 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, 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. A companion model forecasts each day's water-temperature high and low. 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 Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, MT?
- The gauge sits at 46.10776, -112.80528, in Montana, in hydrologic subbasin 17010201, at an elevation of about 4,926 feet, draining roughly 343 square miles.
- Can I use Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, 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 Silver Bow Creek
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Silver Bow Creek in full.
- Silver Bow Creek at Montana Street, at Butte, MT 116 sq mi
- Silver Bow Creek below Blacktail Creek, at Butte, MT 125 sq mi
- Silver Bow Creek at Opportunity, MT this page
- Silver Bow Creek at Warm Springs, MT 473 sq mi