Advertisement
Flow report

Iowa River Levels & Streamflow

As of Oct 18, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 364% of normal across 116 USGS gauges — the highest is 30,700 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.

USGS gauges
116
State percent normal
364%
0%normal200%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Oct 18
Live river map

Iowa river map

Open full map →
Premium

See Iowa’s rivers on a live map

Every gauge, river and reservoir, one tap each:

  • Rivers now — which are running high or low
  • Reservoirs — how full each one is vs normal
  • Rain — past 24 hrs and the 72-hr forecast, press play

✓ Free for 7 days  ·  ✓ Cancel anytime

Flow briefing · Oct 18, 2026

Iowa river conditions today

Where rivers are running versus normal, what’s spiking and what’s coming — refreshed daily from USGS and NOAA.

Streamflow levels across Iowa are currently 364% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 30,700 cfs and a gauge stage of 9.37 ft.

Meanwhile, the Squaw Creek At Ames is seeing a spike today — up 261% 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.

Iowa vs normal

How Iowa’s rivers compare to normal

Every gauge placed by its own percent of normal, and three years of the statewide trend.

Where every gauge actually sits

One dot per Iowa streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The state average is a single line through all of it.

State average 364%
0% 50% 100% · normal 150% 200%+
Much below normalunder 50% Below normal50–90% Near normal90–110% Above normal110–150% Much above normalover 150%

Percent of normal compares today's discharge with the historical average for this calendar day. Tap any dot to open that gauge.

Iowa streamflow, three water years

Statewide percent of normal, every day since Oct 2023. The dotted line is normal.

364% of normal today
+320pts vs this day last year (44%)
253of 366 days below normal, past year
1110% 3-year peak · Oct 2026 · above the axis
50% 100% normal 150% 200% 250%
Oct 2023 202420252026 Oct 17, 2026

799 daily readings from 116 reporting gauges. Percent of normal is today's statewide discharge against the historical average for the same calendar day — 100% is normal, not "good". The axis tops out at 250%: 63 readings above that — including the 1110% peak in Oct 2026 — are drawn along the top edge, so a few flood days cannot flatten three years of everything else. The line breaks in 2 places where the record skips more than five days — those are gaps in reporting, not readings of zero.

Iowa flow report

116 gauges
Streamgage Streamflow Gage height Water temp Air temp Elevation Watershed
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05420500
27,300 cfs 9.38 ft 61°F 33°F 593 ft Copperas-Duck
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05490500
23,000 cfs 16.58 ft 63°F 33°F 579 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05489500
23,000 cfs 8.25 ft 64°F 37°F 635 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05488500
22,600 cfs 9.12 ft · 34°F 676 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05488110
22,100 cfs 93.05 ft 64°F 35°F 689 ft Lower Des Moines
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05465500
16,200 cfs 16.61 ft 49°F 34°F 554 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05485500
13,500 cfs 17.25 ft · 34°F 779 ft Lake Red Rock
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05465000
9,430 cfs 9.31 ft · 34°F 593 ft Lower Cedar
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05474000
8,320 cfs 8.29 ft · 34°F 553 ft Skunk
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05464500
8,120 cfs 5.79 ft 62°F 33°F 712 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05482000
7,800 cfs 17.49 ft 32°F 34°F 808 ft Middle Des Moines
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05484500
6,640 cfs 8.19 ft 32°F 32°F 862 ft North Raccoon
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05481650
6,620 cfs 7.69 ft · 33°F 819 ft Middle Des Moines
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05484900
6,580 cfs 7.22 ft · 36°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05464000
6,490 cfs 7.39 ft · 33°F 823 ft Middle Cedar
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05484650
6,490 cfs 25.70 ft · 36°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05455700
5,860 cfs 9.68 ft · 33°F 601 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05481300
5,680 cfs 9.31 ft · 31°F 902 ft Middle Des Moines
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05463050
5,250 cfs 78.70 ft · 33°F 853 ft Middle Cedar
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05471500
4,650 cfs 15.84 ft · 34°F 692 ft South Skunk
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05453520
4,540 cfs 52.54 ft · 34°F 669 ft Middle Iowa
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05454500
3,960 cfs 14.16 ft · 33°F 643 ft Lower Iowa
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05453100
3,920 cfs 11.32 ft · 31°F 729 ft Middle Iowa
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05471050
3,810 cfs 14.32 ft · 33°F 793 ft South Skunk
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05451500
3,720 cfs 14.56 ft · 34°F 853 ft Middle Iowa
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05452500
3,640 cfs 11.56 ft · 33°F 748 ft Middle Iowa
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06810000
3,340 cfs 13.09 ft · 33°F 904 ft Nishnabotna
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05482500
3,330 cfs 8.70 ft 37°F 32°F 978 ft North Raccoon
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05412500
3,240 cfs 9.69 ft 54°F 33°F 646 ft Turkey
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05422000
3,040 cfs 8.79 ft · 33°F 646 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05471000
2,900 cfs 16.47 ft · 32°F 872 ft South Skunk
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05421000
2,700 cfs 6.99 ft · 32°F 889 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05480500
2,350 cfs 5.18 ft · 31°F 974 ft Middle Des Moines
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06808500
2,120 cfs 10.72 ft 53°F 33°F 956 ft West Nishnabotna
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05421740
2,090 cfs 7.66 ft · 32°F 779 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05458500
1,910 cfs 2.72 ft · 32°F 859 ft Upper Cedar
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05418500
1,880 cfs 12.62 ft · 32°F 646 ft Maquoketa
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05470000
1,800 cfs 7.73 ft · 32°F 928 ft South Skunk
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05484000
1,740 cfs 5.15 ft 32°F 32°F 917 ft South Raccoon
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05458300
1,470 cfs 5.01 ft 54°F 32°F 895 ft Upper Cedar
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05462000
1,450 cfs 8.75 ft · 32°F 882 ft Shell Rock
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05481950
1,400 cfs 7.96 ft · 33°F 829 ft Middle Des Moines
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05481000
1,240 cfs 4.39 ft 35°F 31°F 1,028 ft Boone
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05412400
1,200 cfs 7.57 ft · 33°F 694 ft Turkey
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05463000
1,200 cfs 6.66 ft · 32°F 890 ft Middle Cedar
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05470500
1,190 cfs 4.10 ft · 32°F 907 ft South Skunk
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05412020
1,180 cfs 6.82 ft · 30°F 726 ft Turkey
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05457700
1,100 cfs 3.64 ft · 33°F 977 ft Upper Cedar
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05472500
1,090 cfs 8.23 ft · 35°F 664 ft North Skunk
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05463500
1,080 cfs 10.80 ft · 35°F 897 ft Middle Cedar
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05458900
1,060 cfs 8.82 ft · 32°F 859 ft West Fork Cedar
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05451210
1,020 cfs 6.98 ft · 32°F 963 ft Upper Iowa
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06809500
958 cfs 9.15 ft · 34°F 1,013 ft East Nishnabotna
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06607500
956 cfs 7.95 ft · 31°F 1,029 ft Little Sioux
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05416900
950 cfs 7.01 ft · 31°F 920 ft Maquoketa
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05476750
946 cfs 4.73 ft · 32°F 1,066 ft Upper Des Moines
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05482300
945 cfs 10.22 ft 75°F 31°F 1,179 ft North Raccoon
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05471200
940 cfs 6.63 ft · 35°F 827 ft South Skunk
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06807410
866 cfs 4.29 ft · 32°F 1,089 ft West Nishnabotna
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05483450
848 cfs 12.87 ft · 32°F 1,054 ft South Raccoon
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06485500
838 cfs 5.63 ft · 30°F 1,151 ft Lower Big Sioux
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06904010
838 cfs 22.93 ft · 34°F 847 ft Upper Chariton
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06903900
833 cfs 6.13 ft · 34°F 855 ft Upper Chariton
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06817000
812 cfs 11.47 ft · 31°F 966 ft West Nodaway
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05411850
780 cfs 6.60 ft · 30°F 897 ft Turkey
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05483600
774 cfs 5.69 ft 35°F 32°F 997 ft South Raccoon
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05464220
761 cfs 4.51 ft · 32°F 835 ft Middle Cedar
English River At Kalona, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05455500
736 cfs 6.63 ft · 33°F 655 ft Lower Iowa
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05388250
712 cfs 7.62 ft · 32°F 668 ft Upper Iowa
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06809210
690 cfs 4.67 ft · 31°F 1,109 ft East Nishnabotna
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05479000
668 cfs 9.19 ft · 31°F 1,043 ft East Fork Des Moines
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06606600
618 cfs 5.44 ft · 29°F 1,106 ft Little Sioux
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06609500
616 cfs 4.96 ft · 31°F 1,014 ft Boyer
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05418400
586 cfs 4.09 ft 39°F 32°F 689 ft Maquoketa
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06483500
531 cfs 5.28 ft · 30°F 1,238 ft Rock
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05486490
494 cfs 8.99 ft · 36°F 794 ft Lake Red Rock
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06605850
483 cfs 6.66 ft · 28°F 1,249 ft Little Sioux
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05387500
481 cfs 2.20 ft · 33°F 854 ft Upper Iowa
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05420680
433 cfs 9.49 ft · 32°F 1,019 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05486000
413 cfs 8.92 ft · 33°F 811 ft Lake Red Rock
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05452000
349 cfs 7.99 ft · 32°F 802 ft Middle Iowa
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05387440
348 cfs 3.75 ft · 30°F 970 ft Upper Iowa
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05459500
338 cfs 5.51 ft · 31°F 1,101 ft Winnebago
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06898000
320 cfs 1.83 ft · 33°F 910 ft Thompson
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06607200
289 cfs 5.12 ft · 31°F 1,114 ft Maple
Floyd River At James, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06600500
258 cfs 8.67 ft · 30°F 1,117 ft Floyd
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05485640
245 cfs 4.58 ft · 36°F 813 ft Lake Red Rock
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05458000
237 cfs 4.33 ft · 33°F 1,000 ft Upper Cedar
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05389000
236 cfs 6.29 ft · 33°F 681 ft Coon-Yellow
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05453000
232 cfs 12.13 ft · 34°F 771 ft Middle Iowa
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05411600
230 cfs 2.84 ft · 33°F 1,067 ft Turkey
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05455100
187 cfs 3.37 ft 46°F 33°F 654 ft Lower Iowa
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05473400
181 cfs 4.37 ft · 33°F 590 ft Skunk
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05487470
180 cfs 6.04 ft · 33°F 805 ft Lake Red Rock
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06608500
172 cfs 3.25 ft · 31°F 1,047 ft Blackbird-Soldier
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06602400
170 cfs 4.83 ft · 31°F 1,021 ft Monona-Harrison Ditch
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05451700
169 cfs 4.09 ft · 34°F 862 ft Middle Iowa
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06605000
159 cfs 2.93 ft · 28°F 1,317 ft Little Sioux
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05489000
154 cfs 5.39 ft · 34°F 696 ft Lower Des Moines
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05485605
151 cfs 3.03 ft · 33°F 911 ft Lake Red Rock
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05449500
144 cfs 4.40 ft · 31°F 1,187 ft Upper Iowa
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05484800
141 cfs 4.11 ft · 36°F 808 ft North Raccoon
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05454300
116 cfs 1.88 ft · 36°F 660 ft Lower Iowa
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06483290
94 cfs 7.25 ft · 29°F 1,316 ft Rock
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05451900
89 cfs 11.66 ft · 32°F 817 ft Middle Iowa
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05454220
88 cfs 2.93 ft · 36°F 722 ft Lower Iowa
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05487980
75 cfs 6.55 ft · 33°F 773 ft Lake Red Rock
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 06600100
75 cfs 5.85 ft · 30°F 1,289 ft Floyd
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05452200
66 cfs 2.24 ft · 32°F 806 ft Middle Iowa
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05454000
41 cfs 4.27 ft · 34°F 688 ft Lower Iowa
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05473450
34 cfs 3.83 ft · 33°F 672 ft Skunk
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 05488200
31 cfs 8.85 ft · 37°F 749 ft Lower Des Moines
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
22 hours ago · USGS 05389400
26 cfs 4.15 ft · 30°F 634 ft Coon-Yellow
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06819185
15 cfs 10.96 ft · 32°F 1,084 ft One Hundred And Two
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06903700
14 cfs 3.17 ft · 33°F 922 ft Upper Chariton
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
23 hours ago · USGS 06903400
12 cfs 4.62 ft · 33°F 968 ft Upper Chariton
Flow report FAQ

About Iowa streamflow

What are river levels like in Iowa right now?

As of October 18, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 364% of normal across 116 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 30,700 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which Iowa river is running highest right now?

As of October 18, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 30,700 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.