Kayak Love

Montana · river

Missouri River at Virgelle

Live conditions for this USGS-monitored stretch of water, updated every 15 minutes.

68of 100

Fair

Paddle Score, from live wind and water conditions

Photograph taken near Missouri River at Virgelle
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Virgelle Mercantile.jpg by Virgelle Mercantile/Jim Griffin, CC BY-SA 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

10 mph

gusting to 27 mph

Air temp

55°F

34% chance of rain

River flow

5,700 cfs

normal for this date

Best day to paddle this week

Saturday · 83

  • Today

    27

  • Wed

    70

  • Thu

    22

  • Fri

    47

  • Sat

    83

    Best

  • Sun

    76

  • Mon

    76

Scored from each day's peak forecast wind, heat, and rain chance — river flow isn't forecastable, so check back before you load the boat.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
10a1225
11a1128
12p922
1p1321
2p1422
3p1217
4p1116
5p1317
6p810
7p814
8p814
9p815

Is this flow normal for September 8?

Today's 5,700 cfs is 9% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 5,220 cfs, across 90 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind10 mph — noticeable but manageable-8
  • GustsGusting to 27 mph — 17 mph over sustained-14
  • Cold55°F — dress for the water, not the air-8
  • Rain34% chance in the next 6 hours-2

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, so the flow and weather are real — but we haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

Nearby water

All paddling spots in Montana