How high is the Des Moines River at Jackson, MN right now?

The Des Moines River at Jackson, MN is currently flowing at 737 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 8.59 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

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

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 59th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Des Moines River at Jackson, MN at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 3.41 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 12.0 feet.

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

The long-term median discharge for this date is 536 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 49 to 2,430 cfs.

Where is the Des Moines River at Jackson, MN stream gauge located?

The Des Moines River at Jackson, MN stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Jackson County, MN on the Des Moines River. USGS site number 05476000 (coordinates 43.6208, -94.9850).

Des Moines River at Jackson, MN

USGS Site No: 05476000 • Des Moines River • Jackson County, MN

Des Moines River at Jackson, MN on the Des Moines River is currently at 737 cfs (Normal — 59th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 8.59 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on Des Moines River

Des Moines River Above Windom, MN

737

CFS Discharge

8.59

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	49
25th	Low threshold	136
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	536
75th	High threshold	1,120	Today: 737 cfs
95th	Very High threshold	2,430

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	740	—
May 27, 2026	730	—
May 26, 2026	726	—
May 25, 2026	717	—
May 24, 2026	756	—
May 23, 2026	788	—
May 22, 2026	629	—
May 21, 2026	524	—
May 20, 2026	555	—
May 19, 2026	642	—
May 18, 2026	639	—
May 17, 2026	491	—
May 16, 2026	525	—
May 15, 2026	581	—
Apr 20, 2026	253	—
Apr 19, 2026	261	—
Apr 18, 2026	322	—
Apr 17, 2026	346	—
Apr 16, 2026	352	—
Apr 15, 2026	361	—
Apr 14, 2026	356	—
Apr 13, 2026	419	—
Apr 12, 2026	407	—
Apr 11, 2026	385	—
Apr 10, 2026	402	—
Apr 9, 2026	465	—
Apr 8, 2026	455	—
Apr 7, 2026	426	—
Apr 6, 2026	430	—
Apr 5, 2026	448	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 05476000
State: MN
County: Jackson County
Coordinates: 43.6208, -94.9850
Drainage Area: 1,250 mi²
Datum (ft): 1,292.1
HUC Code: 07100001

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 10.0 ft
Flood Stage: 12.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 12.5 ft
Major Flood: 14.0 ft

Currently 3.41 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 1,730 cfs

Jul 5, 2025
Min discharge: 22 cfs

Oct 27, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

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

High
Des Moines River Above Windom, MN
20.6 mi · 633 cfs

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

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

Normal
Watonwan River Near Garden City, MN
49.1 mi · 937 cfs

Normal