How high is the Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA right now?

The Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA is currently flowing at 1,220 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 0.49 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 32th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 10.51 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 11.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 1,840 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 497 to unavailable cfs.

Where is the Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA stream gauge located?

The Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Palo Alto County, IA on the Des Moines River. USGS site number 05476590 (coordinates 43.1265, -94.7072).

Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA

USGS Site No: 05476590 • Des Moines River • Palo Alto County, IA

Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA on the Des Moines River is currently at 1,220 cfs (Normal — 32th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 0.49 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Des Moines River

Des Moines River at Estherville, IA

Downstream on Des Moines River ↓

Des Moines River at Humboldt, IA

1,220

CFS Discharge

0.49

Gage Height (ft)

Normal

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 11 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.

Percentile	Label	CFS Threshold	Today's Flow
10th	Very Low threshold	497
25th	Low threshold	960
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	1,840	Today: 1,220 cfs
75th	High threshold	2,200
95th	Very High threshold	0

30-Day Hydrograph

Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	1,300	—
May 27, 2026	1,400	—
May 26, 2026	1,400	—
May 25, 2026	1,470	—
May 24, 2026	1,600	—
May 23, 2026	1,320	—
May 22, 2026	1,060	—
May 21, 2026	1,140	—
May 20, 2026	1,300	—
May 19, 2026	1,320	—
May 18, 2026	986	—
May 17, 2026	783	—
May 16, 2026	811	—
May 15, 2026	801	—
Apr 20, 2026	535	—
Apr 19, 2026	609	—
Apr 18, 2026	654	—
Apr 17, 2026	696	—
Apr 16, 2026	737	—
Apr 15, 2026	791	—
Apr 14, 2026	821	—
Apr 13, 2026	692	—
Apr 12, 2026	692	—
Apr 11, 2026	700	—
Apr 10, 2026	771	—
Apr 9, 2026	787	—
Apr 8, 2026	803	—
Apr 7, 2026	824	—
Apr 6, 2026	878	—
Apr 5, 2026	884	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05476590
State: IA
County: Palo Alto County
Coordinates: 43.1265, -94.7072
Drainage Area: 1,672 mi²
Datum (ft): 1,196.3
HUC Code: 07100002

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 9.0 ft
Flood Stage: 11.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 13.0 ft
Major Flood: 15.0 ft

Currently 10.51 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 1,970 cfs

Aug 19, 2025
Min discharge: 73 cfs

Feb 4, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Des Moines River at Estherville, IA
20.1 mi · 1,350 cfs

High
East Fork Des Moines River Near Algona, IA
24.2 mi · 1,050 cfs

Normal
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, IA
25.4 mi · 581 cfs

Normal
Little Sioux River at Linn Grove, IA
31.4 mi · 2,320 cfs

High
Des Moines River at Jackson, MN
36.9 mi · 737 cfs

Normal