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Gibson Reservoir sits in Montana and is classified as a reservoir. The water surface spans about 1,296 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. Fish documented in the area include Rainbow Trout. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Gibson Reservoir are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Winter Storm Watch issued October 8 at 11:48PM MDT until October 11 at 6:00PM MDT by NWS Great Falls MT
Overall Fair (69/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (87/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 83/100 across these hours. Wind 12 mph from the west. Dawn hours (06:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 53° | 51° | 52° | 51° | 51° | 54° | 58° | 63° | 67° | 68° | 70° | 68° | 67° | 65° | 61° | 57° | 55° | 52° | 51° | 47° | 46° | 45° | 42° | 41° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Direction | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| Gusts (kts) | 22 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 37 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 9 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 18% | 28% | 27% | 25% | 17% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 AM MDT | 53°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 25 mph | 0% | 69% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM MDT | 51°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 0% | 62% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM MDT | 52°F | 13 mph W (270°) | 30 mph | 0% | 71% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 AM MDT | 51°F | 13 mph W (270°) | 30 mph | 0% | 62% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM MDT | 51°F | 13 mph W (270°) | 32 mph | 0% | 48% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM MDT | 54°F | 16 mph W (270°) | 35 mph | 0% | 34% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM MDT | 58°F | 18 mph W (270°) | 37 mph | 0% | 42% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM MDT | 63°F | 21 mph W (270°) | 38 mph | 0% | 49% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM MDT | 67°F | 21 mph W (270°) | 40 mph | 0% | 22% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM MDT | 68°F | 21 mph W (270°) | 41 mph | 0% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM MDT | 70°F | 21 mph W (270°) | 43 mph | 0% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM MDT | 68°F | 21 mph W (270°) | 44 mph | 0% | 43% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 67°F | 20 mph W (270°) | 43 mph | 0% | 38% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 65°F | 18 mph W (270°) | 40 mph | 0% | 33% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 61°F | 18 mph W (270°) | 40 mph | 2% | 41% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 57°F | 17 mph W (270°) | 40 mph | 2% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 55°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 38 mph | 4% | 32% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 52°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 36 mph | 5% | 34% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 51°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 33 mph | 5% | 41% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 47°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 18% | 36% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 46°F | 9 mph W (270°) | 22 mph | 28% | 52% | Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 2 AM MDT | 45°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 16 mph | 27% | 57% | Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 3 AM MDT | 42°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 12 mph | 25% | 54% | Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 4 AM MDT | 41°F | 3 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 17% | 56% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 5 AM MDT | 40°F | 3 mph W (270°) | 8 mph | 22% | 51% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 48° | 70° | 35° | 46° | 23° | 29° | 24° | 42° | 27° | 50° | 32° | 50° | 32° | 49° |
| Wind | W 10 mph | W 12 to 21 mph | W 3 to 18 mph | NNE 3 to 9 mph | NE 9 to 13 mph | NE 8 to 12 mph | NNE 2 to 7 mph | W 3 mph | W 5 mph | W 3 to 7 mph | W 3 to 10 mph | W 8 to 12 mph | WNW 5 to 9 mph | NW 5 mph |
| Gusts | 25 mph | 44 mph | 40 mph | 21 mph | 28 mph | 23 mph | 16 mph | 9 mph | 12 mph | 14 mph | 21 mph | 21 mph | 21 mph | 12 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 28% | 83% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 26% | 2% | 1% | 7% | 23% | 50% | 25% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Gibson Reservoir. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (87/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the west. 0% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for boating (57/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the west. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Winter Storm Watch. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for sailing (65/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the W is in the preferred sailing range. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Winter Storm Watch. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Fair for kayaking (58/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the west. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active severe alert: Winter Storm Watch. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of MT Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Gibson Reservoir is an accessible freshwater destination in MT, overseen by state and local natural resource agencies. It offers a welcoming environment for motorboats, personal watercraft, and paddle sports throughout the warm season. Checking local water level telemetry and wave forecasts helps ensure safe boating throughout the day.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is required for anglers age 12+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Rainbow Trout. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Northern cold winter conditions with freezing air temperatures and potential surface ice formation. Ramps and water systems may be winterized. Confirm open status before visiting.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Gibson Reservoir is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 5:22 AM MDT