Around here
Around Des Moines River
Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Des Moines River is a 46.3 mile river. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Des Moines River at St. Francisville, MO (site 05490600). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 7. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1988 to 2026
Des Moines River typically runs highest in June, at a median 19,300 cfs, and lowest in September, at 1,860 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 101,000 cfs, in 2019.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2,590 | 1,390 to 6,740 |
| February | 3,400 | 1,610 to 7,100 |
| March | 7,720 | 3,080 to 16,000 |
| April | 9,955 | 4,205 to 23,450 |
| May | 16,000 | 7,490 to 24,500 |
| June | 19,300 | 7,070 to 25,500 |
| July | 13,700 | 4,570 to 24,100 |
| August | 4,380 | 1,790 to 17,300 |
| September | 1,860 | 710 to 6,115 |
| October | 2,170 | 572 to 7,310 |
| November | 2,170 | 606 to 6,410 |
| December | 2,740 | 1,300 to 6,810 |
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 24 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Des Moines River at St. Francisville, MO (site 05490600). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
8 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.
- Lake Showme (Memphis)Lake ShowmePublic
- Lake Showme (Memphis)Lake ShowmePublic
- Lake Showme (Memphis)Lake ShowmePublic
- Fort Pike AccessDes Moines RiverPublic
- Fox Valley Lake Conservation AreaFox Valley LakePublic
- Turkey Run AccessDes Moines RiverPublic
- Farmington AccessDes Moines RiverPublic
- Des Moines River AccessDes Moines RiverPublic
Made to print
Put Des Moines River on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
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.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
