Raccoon River Boat House operated by CanoeSport Outfitters
Des Moines River near Raccoon River Boat House operated by CanoeSport Outfitters
About this river
Des Moines River is an 18.9 mile river near Raccoon River Boat House operated by CanoeSport Outfitters in Iowa. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Des Moines River near Saylorville, IA (site 05481650). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 7. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1978 to 2026
Des Moines River typically runs highest in May, at a median 6,210 cfs, and lowest in January, at 664 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 49,700 cfs, in 2008.
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) | Relative level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 664 | 245 to 1,320 | |
| February | 747 | 237 to 1,420 | |
| March | 3,340 | 1,520 to 6,430 | |
| April | 5,085 | 2,500 to 10,400 | |
| May | 6,210 | 2,990 to 11,300 | |
| June | 6,110 | 3,165 to 11,450 | |
| July | 5,030 | 2,070 to 8,890 | |
| August | 1,440 | 706 to 3,910 | |
| September | 735 | 337 to 2,220 | |
| October | 774 | 231 to 3,160 | |
| November | 1,300 | 293 to 2,950 | |
| December | 1,100 | 436 to 2,070 |
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 49 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Des Moines River near Saylorville, IA (site 05481650). 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.
- Pleasant Hill Boat RampDes Moines RiverPublic
- Des Moines Water Works ParkNorth Raccoon RiverPublic
- Birdland ParkDes Moines RiverPublic
- Prospect ParkDes Moines RiverPublic
- Sycamore AccessDes Moines RiverPublic
- Lakeview High WaterBig Creek - Saylorville LakePublic
- Lakeview Main ABig Creek - Saylorville LakePublic
- Lakeview Main BBig Creek - Saylorville LakePublic
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.
