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

The Des Moines River at Estherville, IA is currently flowing at 1,350 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 4.09 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

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

Current flow is classified as high for June 13. Today's discharge is at the 79th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

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

No — the gage height is 5.91 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 10.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Des Moines River at Estherville, IA on June 13?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 378 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 50 to 3,190 cfs.

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

The Des Moines River at Estherville, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Emmet County, IA on the Des Moines River. USGS site number 05476500 (coordinates 43.3993, -94.8460).

Des Moines River at Estherville, IA

USGS Site No: 05476500 • Des Moines River • Emmet County, IA

Des Moines River at Estherville, IA on the Des Moines River is currently at 1,350 cfs (High — 79th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 4.09 ft.

Reading from 2 weeks ago

Downstream on Des Moines River ↓

Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA

1,350

CFS Discharge

4.09

Gage Height (ft)

High

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 13 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	50
25th	Low threshold	137
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	378
75th	High threshold	910
95th	Very High threshold	3,190	Today: 1,350 cfs

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	—	4.12
May 27, 2026	—	4.15
May 26, 2026	—	4.20
May 25, 2026	—	4.29
May 24, 2026	—	4.44
May 23, 2026	—	4.51
May 22, 2026	—	3.85
May 21, 2026	—	3.78
May 20, 2026	—	3.93
May 19, 2026	—	3.97
May 18, 2026	—	3.92
May 17, 2026	—	3.49
May 16, 2026	—	3.56
May 15, 2026	—	3.55
Apr 20, 2026	—	3.09
Apr 19, 2026	—	3.17
Apr 18, 2026	—	3.29
Apr 17, 2026	—	3.31
Apr 16, 2026	—	3.32
Apr 15, 2026	—	3.32
Apr 14, 2026	—	3.41
Apr 13, 2026	—	3.45
Apr 12, 2026	—	3.40
Apr 11, 2026	—	3.39
Apr 10, 2026	—	3.47
Apr 9, 2026	—	3.54
Apr 8, 2026	—	3.49
Apr 7, 2026	—	3.51
Apr 6, 2026	—	3.55
Apr 5, 2026	—	3.55

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05476500
State: IA
County: Emmet County
Coordinates: 43.3993, -94.8460
Drainage Area: 1,372 mi²
Datum (ft): 1,247.6
HUC Code: 07100002

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 6.0 ft
Flood Stage: 10.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 13.0 ft
Major Flood: 14.5 ft

Currently 5.91 ft below flood stage.

Nearby Gauges

Des Moines River at Jackson, MN
16.8 mi · 737 cfs

Normal
Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA
20.1 mi · 1,220 cfs

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

Normal
Des Moines River Above Windom, MN
37.4 mi · 633 cfs

Normal
East Fork Des Moines River Near Algona, IA
37.9 mi · 1,050 cfs

Normal