About this river
Des Moines River is a 26.7 mile river near Wonderlich Outdoors in Iowa. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Des Moines River near Swan, IA (site 05487520). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 7. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
2010 to 2026
Des Moines River typically runs highest in June, at a median 16,350 cfs, and lowest in September, at 1,610 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 60,200 cfs, in 2019.
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) | Relative level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,620 | 661 to 4,690 | |
| February | 2,370 | 800 to 4,790 | |
| March | 7,020 | 3,360 to 12,200 | |
| April | 10,450 | 4,390 to 17,950 | |
| May | 13,400 | 7,390 to 22,000 | |
| June | 16,350 | 7,575 to 21,850 | |
| July | 11,500 | 4,140 to 20,700 | |
| August | 3,430 | 992 to 10,900 | |
| September | 1,610 | 653 to 10,300 | |
| October | 2,750 | 452 to 12,000 | |
| November | 3,255 | 568 to 7,040 | |
| December | 2,150 | 752 to 5,060 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 17 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Des Moines River near Swan, IA (site 05487520). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
5 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Des Moines River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- CordovaDes Moines River - Lake Red RockPublic
- Boxcar BendDes Moines River - Lake Red RockPublic
- Runnells AccessDes Moines RiverPublic
- Bennington BridgeDes Moines River - Lake Red RockPublic
- Yellow Banks AccessDes Moines RiverPublic
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Des Moines River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
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