RIVERBETA · pocket sheet
Teakettle (Columbia Falls) to Old Steel Bridge (Kalispell)
Flathead River (mainstem) · I · 4 ft/mi · May–October
GO9,450 cfs
The run
Wide, braided mainstem. Island scenery. Float-fishing and family-float water.
No named rapids on record — read and run, but wood moves.
⚠ Wood & hazards
- May 27, 2026 — Late May 2026: another raft flipped near Kokanee Bend due to logs — the second flip that week on the mainstem (alongside the CFAC-area incidents). High water plus moving wood; pick lines carefully. (Donna)
- May 25, 2026 — May 2026: North Valley Search and Rescue responded to two boat flips at the same spot just downriver from the old CFAC plant, river-right. A large rock there has logs caught on it this season, with a hole just upstream at current flows. One paddler reported the logs had cleared a few days later — confirm current conditions before you commit. All flipped rafters were wearing PFDs and were fine. (North Valley Search and Rescue)
Emergency
- Emergencies. Dial 911. Cell coverage is limited throughout the corridor — plan to be self-reliant between accesses.
- Primary rescue. North Valley Search & Rescue covers all three forks of the Flathead.
- Nearest hospitals. Logan Health Whitefish and Logan Health Medical Center (Kalispell) are the primary regional facilities; serious trauma is flown to Kalispell or Missoula.
Field notes
P Teakettle (Columbia Falls)T Old Steel Bridge (Kalispell)shuttle 16.3 mi · ≈27 min
Last 7 days · USGS 12363000
USGS 12363000 · Conditions as of Jul 16, 2026, 1:45 PM · Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 90°F. Printed Jul 16, 2026, 3:02 PM— levels swing, wood moves. Verify the gauge and scout anything you can't read from upstream.