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

The Des Moines River at Humboldt, IA is currently flowing at 1,670 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 5.68 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

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

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 80th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

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

No — the gage height is 4.32 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 10.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Des Moines River at Humboldt, IA on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 326 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 66 to 3,450 cfs.

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

The Des Moines River at Humboldt, IA stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Humboldt County, IA on the Des Moines River. USGS site number 05476750 (coordinates 42.7194, -94.2203).

Des Moines River at Humboldt, IA

USGS Site No: 05476750 • Des Moines River • Humboldt County, IA

Des Moines River at Humboldt, IA on the Des Moines River is currently at 1,670 cfs (High — 80th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 5.68 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on Des Moines River

Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA

Downstream on Des Moines River ↓

Des Moines River at Fort Dodge, IA

1,670

CFS Discharge

5.68

Gage Height (ft)

High

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for October 28 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	66
25th	Low threshold	108
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	326
75th	High threshold	1,020
95th	Very High threshold	3,450	Today: 1,670 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	1,810	—
May 27, 2026	1,870	—
May 26, 2026	1,940	—
May 25, 2026	1,990	—
May 24, 2026	1,720	—
May 23, 2026	1,480	—
May 22, 2026	1,520	—
May 21, 2026	1,640	—
May 20, 2026	1,660	—
May 19, 2026	1,360	—
May 18, 2026	1,160	—
May 17, 2026	1,120	—
May 16, 2026	1,170	—
May 15, 2026	1,140	—
Apr 20, 2026	1,050	—
Apr 19, 2026	1,130	—
Apr 18, 2026	1,200	—
Apr 17, 2026	1,270	—
Apr 16, 2026	1,340	—
Apr 15, 2026	1,380	—
Apr 14, 2026	1,300	—
Apr 13, 2026	1,320	—
Apr 12, 2026	1,330	—
Apr 11, 2026	1,360	—
Apr 10, 2026	1,410	—
Apr 9, 2026	1,480	—
Apr 8, 2026	1,580	—
Apr 7, 2026	1,700	—
Apr 6, 2026	1,840	—
Apr 5, 2026	1,920	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05476750
State: IA
County: Humboldt County
Coordinates: 42.7194, -94.2203
Drainage Area: 2,256 mi²
Datum (ft): 1,053.7
HUC Code: 07100002

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 7.0 ft
Flood Stage: 10.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 13.0 ft
Major Flood: 14.0 ft

Currently 4.32 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 5,530 cfs

Aug 1, 2025
Min discharge: 87 cfs

Feb 22, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota City, IA
1.4 mi · 1,380 cfs

High
Boone River Near Goldfield, IA
13.9 mi · 302 cfs

Very High
Des Moines River at Fort Dodge, IA
14.6 mi · 3,580 cfs

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

Very High
Boone River Near Webster City, IA
29.0 mi · 620 cfs

High