Raccoon River Boat House operated by CanoeSport Outfitters
Raccoon River near West Des Moines, IA
Around here
Around Raccoon River
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Raccoon River is a 30.6 mile river near Raccoon River Boat House operated by CanoeSport Outfitters in Iowa. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Raccoon River at Van Meter, IA (site 05484500). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 6. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1916 to 2026
Raccoon River typically runs highest in June, at a median 2,195 cfs, and lowest in January, at 260 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 57,500 cfs, in 1993.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 260 | 115 to 630 |
| February | 500 | 180 to 1,010 |
| March | 1,600 | 649 to 3,300 |
| April | 1,575 | 699 to 3,585 |
| May | 1,940 | 855 to 3,930 |
| June | 2,195 | 951 to 4,670 |
| July | 988 | 475 to 2,430 |
| August | 460 | 234 to 1,070 |
| September | 338 | 165 to 841 |
| October | 328 | 161 to 951 |
| November | 393 | 198 to 1,070 |
| December | 300 | 150 to 750 |
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 111 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Raccoon River at Van Meter, IA (site 05484500). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
2 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Raccoon River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Puckerbrush AccessNorth Raccoon RiverPublic
- Des Moines Water Works ParkNorth Raccoon RiverPublic
Made to print
Put Raccoon 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 Raccoon 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.
