Around here
Around Des Moines River
Source: USGS GNIS · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Des Moines River is a 62.1 mile river near Extreme Watersports in Iowa. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Des Moines River above Windom, MN (site 05475350). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 6. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
2021 to 2026
Des Moines River typically runs highest in May, at a median 1,070 cfs, and lowest in February, at 12 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 12,600 cfs, in 2024.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 15 | 11 to 88 |
| February | 12 | 8.9 to 69 |
| March | 107 | 45 to 312 |
| April | 447 | 331 to 1,495 |
| May | 1,070 | 259 to 1,850 |
| June | 975 | 271 to 2,185 |
| July | 421 | 136 to 2,000 |
| August | 107 | 18 to 330 |
| September | 37 | 11 to 199 |
| October | 24 | 8.7 to 125 |
| November | 31 | 13 to 267 |
| December | 17 | 10 to 177 |
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 5 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Des Moines River above Windom, MN (site 05475350). 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.
- Dewey's Pasture ComplexDewey's Pasture ComplexPublic
- Dewey's Pasture ComplexTrumbull LakePublic
- Dewey's Pasture ComplexPickeral RunPublic
- Dewey's Pasture ComplexMud LakePublic
- Dewey's Pasture ComplexTrumbull LakePublic
- Graettinger AccessDes Moines RiverPublic
- Burr Oak LakeBurr Oak LakePublic
- Peterson 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.
