Iowa River Levels & Streamflow
As of Aug 8, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 137% of normal across 117 USGS gauges — the highest is 38,800 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.
Streamflow levels across Iowa are currently 137% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 38,800 cfs and a gauge stage of 9.69 ft.
Meanwhile, the South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City is seeing a spike today — up 19979% since yesterday and currently running near peak.
Tap any gauge below for the full hydrograph, paired weather forecast, and historical context. Use the rivers panel to jump into Iowa's named rivers.
State-wide streamflow overview
The Iowa flow picture in four data points -- where the state sits versus historical norms, what's flowing hardest, and what's spiking fastest.
Percent of normal
100% is the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought; above 130% can flag elevated flood risk.
Highest discharge
Gauge stage 9.69 ft
Biggest 24h spike
Now 1,520 cfs
Network coverage
USGS gauges feeding 0 named rivers in Iowa.
Iowa USGS streamgauges
Every USGS gauge Snoflo tracks in Iowa. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any gauge for its full hydrograph and forecast.
| Streamgage | Streamflow | Gage height | Water temp | Air temp | Elevation | Watershed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05420500 |
39,900 cfs | 9.57 ft | 78°F | 69°F | 593 ft | Copperas-Duck |
|
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05465500 |
10,700 cfs | 14.93 ft | 49°F | 69°F | 554 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05465000 |
8,110 cfs | 8.80 ft | · | 66°F | 593 ft | Lower Cedar |
|
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05464500 |
6,380 cfs | 5.28 ft | 62°F | 66°F | 712 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05488500 |
6,210 cfs | 4.69 ft | · | 68°F | 676 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05488110 |
6,110 cfs | 87.21 ft | 78°F | 65°F | 689 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05464000 |
3,850 cfs | 6.61 ft | · | 67°F | 823 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05463050 |
3,620 cfs | 78.70 ft | · | 67°F | 853 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05490500 |
3,600 cfs | 11.42 ft | 78°F | 69°F | 579 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05489500 |
3,590 cfs | 2.79 ft | 77°F | 68°F | 635 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05422000 |
2,560 cfs | 8.33 ft | · | 66°F | 646 ft | Lower Wapsipinicon |
|
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05455700 |
2,530 cfs | 6.85 ft | · | 69°F | 601 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05485500 |
2,530 cfs | 10.72 ft | · | 68°F | 779 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05474000 |
1,940 cfs | 3.45 ft | · | 69°F | 553 ft | Skunk |
|
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05418500 |
1,920 cfs | 12.67 ft | · | 65°F | 646 ft | Maquoketa |
|
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05482000 |
1,900 cfs | 15.75 ft | 32°F | 68°F | 808 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05454500 |
1,830 cfs | 11.38 ft | · | 69°F | 643 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05458500 |
1,810 cfs | 2.63 ft | · | 67°F | 859 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05453520 |
1,810 cfs | 50.55 ft | · | 69°F | 669 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05481650 |
1,700 cfs | 3.83 ft | · | 68°F | 819 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05458300 |
1,620 cfs | 5.11 ft | 73°F | 66°F | 895 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06898000 |
1,560 cfs | 3.59 ft | · | 65°F | 910 ft | Thompson |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05421740 |
1,550 cfs | 6.79 ft | · | 67°F | 779 ft | Lower Wapsipinicon |
|
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06810000 |
1,510 cfs | 10.13 ft | · | 69°F | 904 ft | Nishnabotna |
|
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05453100 |
1,360 cfs | 7.84 ft | · | 67°F | 729 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05452500 |
1,270 cfs | 7.66 ft | · | 66°F | 748 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05457700 |
1,120 cfs | 3.67 ft | · | 66°F | 977 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05471500 |
1,090 cfs | 10.86 ft | · | 68°F | 692 ft | South Skunk |
|
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05462000 |
1,080 cfs | 8.46 ft | · | 66°F | 882 ft | Shell Rock |
|
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05412500 |
982 cfs | 7.32 ft | 73°F | 67°F | 646 ft | Turkey |
|
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05421000 |
825 cfs | 5.58 ft | · | 64°F | 889 ft | Upper Wapsipinicon |
|
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484900 |
777 cfs | 1.69 ft | · | 68°F | 797 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05388250 |
693 cfs | 7.59 ft | · | 66°F | 668 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06808500 |
676 cfs | 8.74 ft | 72°F | 69°F | 956 ft | West Nishnabotna |
|
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05471050 |
640 cfs | 8.82 ft | · | 68°F | 793 ft | South Skunk |
|
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05412020 |
620 cfs | 5.96 ft | · | 67°F | 726 ft | Turkey |
|
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484650 |
587 cfs | 20.52 ft | · | 68°F | 797 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Raccoon River Near West Des Moines, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484600 |
576 cfs | 26.78 ft | · | 68°F | 844 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06903400 |
567 cfs | 11.30 ft | · | 67°F | 968 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06817000 |
561 cfs | 11.33 ft | · | 69°F | 966 ft | West Nodaway |
|
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05481300 |
553 cfs | 5.28 ft | · | 66°F | 902 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05458900 |
539 cfs | 7.52 ft | · | 66°F | 859 ft | West Fork Cedar |
|
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484500 |
535 cfs | 2.89 ft | 32°F | 67°F | 862 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06485500 |
521 cfs | 4.99 ft | · | 64°F | 1,151 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05487980 |
508 cfs | 8.44 ft | · | 68°F | 773 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06607500 |
493 cfs | 7.04 ft | · | 67°F | 1,029 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05387500 |
487 cfs | 2.27 ft | · | 65°F | 854 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05451500 |
463 cfs | 10.36 ft | · | 66°F | 853 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05418400 |
453 cfs | 3.57 ft | 39°F | 68°F | 689 ft | Maquoketa |
|
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05486000 |
410 cfs | 8.93 ft | · | 68°F | 811 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05387440 |
396 cfs | 3.85 ft | · | 65°F | 970 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05487470 |
385 cfs | 7.12 ft | · | 68°F | 805 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05486490 |
384 cfs | 8.60 ft | · | 68°F | 794 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06809500 |
382 cfs | 6.44 ft | · | 69°F | 1,013 ft | East Nishnabotna |
|
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05411850 |
347 cfs | 5.72 ft | · | 63°F | 897 ft | Turkey |
|
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05480500 |
343 cfs | 3.79 ft | · | 65°F | 974 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05472500 |
323 cfs | 5.29 ft | · | 68°F | 664 ft | North Skunk |
|
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05412400 |
322 cfs | 5.33 ft | · | 67°F | 694 ft | Turkey |
|
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05416900 |
318 cfs | 4.85 ft | · | 64°F | 920 ft | Maquoketa |
|
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05471000 |
294 cfs | 10.93 ft | · | 67°F | 872 ft | South Skunk |
|
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06606600 |
256 cfs | 4.78 ft | · | 63°F | 1,106 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05464220 |
252 cfs | 3.18 ft | · | 64°F | 835 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05473400 |
214 cfs | 4.01 ft | · | 68°F | 590 ft | Skunk |
|
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05476750 |
200 cfs | 3.23 ft | · | 65°F | 1,066 ft | Upper Des Moines |
|
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484000 |
193 cfs | 2.54 ft | 32°F | 67°F | 917 ft | South Raccoon |
|
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05463500 |
181 cfs | 6.34 ft | · | 67°F | 897 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06609500 |
181 cfs | 3.69 ft | · | 67°F | 1,014 ft | Boyer |
|
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05489000 |
177 cfs | 5.54 ft | · | 68°F | 696 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05458000 |
175 cfs | 4.06 ft | · | 65°F | 1,000 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05420680 |
173 cfs | 8.04 ft | · | 66°F | 1,019 ft | Upper Wapsipinicon |
|
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05452000 |
162 cfs | 6.71 ft | · | 66°F | 802 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Floyd River At James, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06600500 |
161 cfs | 8.30 ft | · | 63°F | 1,117 ft | Floyd |
|
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05470000 |
160 cfs | 3.58 ft | · | 67°F | 928 ft | South Skunk |
|
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05471200 |
156 cfs | 3.96 ft | · | 67°F | 827 ft | South Skunk |
|
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05470500 |
145 cfs | 1.99 ft | · | 67°F | 907 ft | South Skunk |
|
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06807410 |
145 cfs | 2.13 ft | · | 67°F | 1,089 ft | West Nishnabotna |
|
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06903700 |
145 cfs | 4.33 ft | · | 68°F | 922 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05463000 |
139 cfs | 2.23 ft | · | 66°F | 890 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06605850 |
135 cfs | 4.97 ft | · | 62°F | 1,249 ft | Little Sioux |
|
English River At Kalona, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05455500 |
131 cfs | 4.28 ft | · | 68°F | 655 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05459500 |
122 cfs | 4.86 ft | · | 64°F | 1,101 ft | Winnebago |
|
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05389000 |
116 cfs | 5.73 ft | · | 66°F | 681 ft | Coon-Yellow |
|
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06607200 |
113 cfs | 4.43 ft | · | 66°F | 1,114 ft | Maple |
|
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05482500 |
112 cfs | 4.87 ft | 37°F | 66°F | 978 ft | North Raccoon |
|
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05479000 |
104 cfs | 7.74 ft | · | 65°F | 1,043 ft | East Fork Des Moines |
|
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05411600 |
97 cfs | 2.33 ft | · | 65°F | 1,067 ft | Turkey |
|
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06602400 |
97 cfs | 4.72 ft | · | 67°F | 1,021 ft | Monona-Harrison Ditch |
|
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06483500 |
95 cfs | 4.32 ft | · | 63°F | 1,238 ft | Rock |
|
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06809210 |
87 cfs | 2.53 ft | · | 67°F | 1,109 ft | East Nishnabotna |
|
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05455100 |
81 cfs | 2.20 ft | 46°F | 66°F | 654 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05485640 |
75 cfs | 4.13 ft | · | 68°F | 813 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05483600 |
74 cfs | 4.23 ft | 35°F | 67°F | 997 ft | South Raccoon |
|
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06608500 |
74 cfs | 2.66 ft | · | 67°F | 1,047 ft | Blackbird-Soldier |
|
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05449500 |
67 cfs | 3.77 ft | · | 65°F | 1,187 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05481000 |
57 cfs | 1.85 ft | 35°F | 65°F | 1,028 ft | Boone |
|
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06904010 |
57 cfs | 18.83 ft | · | 68°F | 847 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05451700 |
54 cfs | 2.58 ft | · | 66°F | 862 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05453000 |
54 cfs | 11.00 ft | · | 67°F | 771 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05481950 |
53 cfs | 3.35 ft | · | 68°F | 829 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05483450 |
50 cfs | 8.96 ft | · | 66°F | 1,054 ft | South Raccoon |
|
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06819185 |
44 cfs | 11.06 ft | · | 65°F | 1,084 ft | One Hundred And Two |
|
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05451210 |
42 cfs | 2.48 ft | · | 65°F | 963 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05482300 |
40 cfs | 6.71 ft | 75°F | 62°F | 1,179 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06605000 |
35 cfs | 1.87 ft | · | 62°F | 1,317 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05484800 |
33 cfs | 3.65 ft | · | 68°F | 808 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05485605 |
32 cfs | 2.45 ft | · | 68°F | 911 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05473450 |
27 cfs | 3.63 ft | · | 68°F | 672 ft | Skunk |
|
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05454300 |
26 cfs | 1.00 ft | · | 68°F | 660 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05488200 |
24 cfs | 8.76 ft | · | 68°F | 749 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06600100 |
24 cfs | 5.31 ft | · | 63°F | 1,289 ft | Floyd |
|
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05389400 |
22 cfs | 4.19 ft | · | 66°F | 634 ft | Coon-Yellow |
|
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06483290 |
16 cfs | 6.55 ft | · | 63°F | 1,316 ft | Rock |
|
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 06903900 |
15 cfs | 2.27 ft | · | 69°F | 855 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05454220 |
13 cfs | 1.80 ft | · | 68°F | 722 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05452200 |
13 cfs | · | · | 62°F | 806 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05451900 |
11 cfs | 10.40 ft | · | 66°F | 817 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05454000 |
6 cfs | 3.91 ft | · | 66°F | 688 ft | Lower Iowa |
See every Iowa gauge ranked against normal.
- Percentile rank & % of median for all 117 gauges
- 15-day PULSE forecast on every gauge
- Custom flow alerts & full daily history
About Iowa streamflow
What are river levels like in Iowa right now?
As of August 8, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 137% of normal across 117 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 38,800 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.
Which Iowa river is running highest right now?
As of August 8, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 38,800 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.
Are Iowa rivers high or low right now?
Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means Iowa rivers are running higher than the seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower (a dry spell or drought). Each gauge also shows its own percent of median.
Where does the Iowa streamflow data come from?
The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. USGS streamgauges report continuously (every 15 minutes) and the data is the canonical real-time record for U.S. rivers. Snoflo pulls the latest readings and joins them to a 7-day NOAA weather forecast for each station.
What is cfs?
Cubic feet per second — the standard unit for streamflow. One cfs is about 7.5 gallons per second. Small creeks run at single-digit cfs; the Mississippi at hundreds of thousands.
What does Gauge Height mean?
The water level at the gauge in feet above the reference datum. Used together with discharge to track river state. Flood stage and runnable levels are typically expressed in gauge height (e.g., "flood at 16 ft").
How fresh is the Iowa data?
USGS streamgauges report every 15 minutes; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The AI briefing regenerates daily.
Can I get a flow alert for a Iowa gauge?
Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a discharge or stage threshold (e.g. "alert me when discharge crosses 2,000 cfs"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses.
Is this a substitute for an NWS flood warning?
No. Snoflo is informational. For flood life-safety decisions always follow guidance from your local NWS forecast office and state emergency management. Snoflo data is one input among several.